Method for implementing a computer game

ABSTRACT

A method, implemented as computer code being executed by one or more processors, in which computer game graphics for a casual, social game are shown on a display of a computing device and in which one or more of the processors are programmed such that: in the game, a player is automatically allocated lives, is only permitted to play a game if it has one or more lives left, and loses one or more lives if it fails a level; and in which a player can see which of their friends on the social network are playing, or have played, the game and the level they have reached; and in which the processor enables players who are friends on the social network to collaborate, including by sending a message to their friends, or a subset of their friends, transferring in-game assistance.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on, and claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/701,907, filed Sep. 17, 2012; UK Application No.1302121.7, filed Feb. 6, 2013; UK Application No. 1302910.3, filed Feb.19, 2013; UK Application No. 1304442.5, filed Mar. 12, 2013; UKApplication No. 1304444.1, filed Mar. 12, 2013; UK Application No.1304545.5, filed Mar. 13, 2013; UK Application No. 1306117.1, filed Apr.4, 2013; UK Application No. 1306118.9, filed Apr. 4, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/811,019, filed Apr. 11, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/818,702, filed May 2, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/827,298, filed May 24, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/832,348, filed Jun. 7, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/832,355, filed Jun. 7, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/832,359, filed Jun. 7, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/832,362, filed Jun. 7, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/832,364, filed Jun. 7, 2013; U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/832,369, filed Jun. 7, 2013; UKApplication No. 1310589.5, filed Jun. 13, 2013; UK Application No.1310592.9, filed Jun. 13, 2013; UK Application No. 1311119.0, filed Jun.21, 2013; UK Application No. 1314147.8, filed Aug. 7, 2013; and UKApplication No. 1316045.2, filed Sep. 10, 2013, the entire contents ofeach of which being fully incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The inventions related to casual social games.

2. Technical Background

Computer implemented games is a well known category of games that allowa player to interact with a computing device to cause the processor toperform certain calculations and typically display a result on a screenor other display device.

Different types of games have evolved from classical arcade games in togames that can be played on a handheld device such as a smartphone orpersonal computer. Some games are also connected to the Internet and theplayer can play against or compare score with other users in multiplayermode.

There are multiple technical challenges facing the designer ofcomputer-implemented games to create a fun and compelling game. Three ofthese challenges can be broadly categorised into the following areas:‘engagement’; ‘viralisation’ and ‘monetisation’.

We will look first at ‘engagement’, which involves designing gameplay tobe engaging and rewarding to players. This typically requires games tobe easily understood at their simplest or introductory levels, providingrewarding gameplay with quite simple game mechanics, but becomingprogressively more challenging so that players are not bored, but remainengaged and develop rewarding skills Effective engagement requiresvarious forms of feedback to reinforce players' sense of success andaccomplishment. Effective engagement can be greatly magnified if thegame has as social aspect—for example if it is linked to a socialnetwork so that game players can interact with their friends in thesocial network. The game can then transform into something that goes farbeyond a solo game experience and become more like a shared journey.

‘Viralisation’ requires a game to include various techniques thatencourage players to share the game with others, encouraging them toplay the game. It is a key technique in enabling mass-scale distributionor penetration of games. Viralisation can be especially effective whenthe game is integrated into a social network environment in some manner,so that the game can then propagate through the network of player'sfriends, and their friends and so on.

‘Monetisation’ covers those techniques that enable revenue to begenerated from a game; this involves many challenges, because themonetisation techniques need to be acceptable to players and in no wayundermine engagement.

A successful and original game will require a team of game designers tosolve complex problems of engagement, viralisation and monetisation;this can take many months of skilled work and, not infrequently, a greatdeal of trial-and-error testing of new ideas, functions and gamemechanics before a game successfully combines all these elements into anew experience.

A ‘match-3 game’ is a type of casual puzzle game where the player isrequired to find patterns on a seemingly chaotic board. The player thenhas to match three or more of the same type of game element on the gameboard and those matched elements will then disappear.

One variant of casual games are the so called ‘clicker’ games where theplayer can click on a group of adjacent game elements of a certain typeand those will then be removed. Some clicker games only require twoadjacent objects to remove those elements if clicked by the user.

Another type of match-3 games are the so called ‘switcher’ games wherethe player switches place on two adjacent game elements on the gameboard so that one or both of them create a chain of at least threeadjacent game elements of the same type. Those matched game elementswill then disappear. In a typical switcher game the game board will berepopulated with game objects from the top of the board with the physicsof the game board being that the game pieces are falling downwards onthe board.

Another type of match-3 game are the so called ‘shooter’ games where theplayer launches for instance a ball or bubble on to the game board tyingto aim at groups of similar game elements already on the game board. Ifthe launched ball hits or forms a group of more than 3 similar gameelements then that group of game elements are removed fro the gameboard. In a typical shooter game the physics of the game board beingthat the game pieces are falling downwards on the board.

This patent specification describes not only various ideas andfunctions, but also their creative expression. A portion of thedisclosure of this patent document therefore contains material to whicha claim for copyright is made and notice is hereby given: CopyrightKing.com Limited 2012 and 2013 (pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 401). A claim tocopyright protection is made to all screen shots, icons, look and feeland all other protectable expression associated with the gamesillustrated and described in this patent specification.

The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction byanyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears inthe Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but reserves allother copyright rights whatsoever. No express or implied license underany copyright whatsoever is therefore granted.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Casual social games have been implemented before and are known. Howeverprevious inventions have not successfully devised effective solutions toone or more of engagement, viralisation and monetisation in the same wayas the present invention does.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect is:

A method, implemented as computer code being executed by one or moreprocessors, in which computer game graphics for a casual, social gameare shown on a display of a computing device and in which one or more ofthe processors are programmed such that:

-   -   in the game, a player is automatically allocated lives, is only        permitted to play a game if it has one or more lives left, and        loses one or more lives if it fails a level;    -   and in which a player can see which of their friends on the        social network are playing, or have played, the game and the        level they have reached;    -   and in which the processor enables players who are friends on        the social network to collaborate, including by sending a        message to their friends, or a subset of their friends,        transferring in-game assistance, such as a life or lives, or        moves or boosters or in-game currency.

Any one or more of the following optional features may be included,resulting in a method:

-   -   in which one or more processors are programmed to show a virtual        path or other virtual world that indicates the level reached by        the player and some of that player's social network friends    -   in which one or more processors are programmed to display        computer game graphics showing a gameboard with multiple game        elements that are removed when matched or switched, such as in a        match-3, clicker or switcher game    -   in which the processor enables players who are friends on the        social network to collaborate, including sending a message to        their friends, or a subset of their friends, gifting lives,        in-game currency, boosters, charms, other in-game elements    -   in which, in response to the receipt of a gift of a life,        in-game currency, boosters, charms, or other in-game elements,        from a friend, the recipient is automatically prompted to send        an in-game element back to the friend    -   in which a player can send lives, in-game currency, boosters,        charms, other in-game elements, messages to friends in response        to a request or a posting, such as an automatically generated        request    -   in which a player can send lives, in-game currency, boosters,        charms, other in-game elements, messages to friends in response        to a request from a friend    -   in which a player can send lives, in-game currency, boosters,        charms, other in-game elements, messages to a friend if the        player determines that the friend needs that assistance, for        example has been stuck on a level for several days or weeks.    -   in which a processor automatically causes a message to be sent        to one or more friends of a player requesting help if that        player is stuck at a level for more than a defined time or after        more than a defined number of attempts to pass that level.    -   in which collaboration includes sending a request to a friend to        play a head-to-head game tournament with that friend.    -   in which collaboration occurs in real-time, ie instantaneously        or nearly instantaneously    -   in which a casual, social game is a game that can be downloaded        as an app to a smartphone and/or tablet computer and which can        be accessed or played using a social network application or        environment    -   in which some or all game levels are untimed, eliminating any        time pressure    -   in which the game is a casual, social game and some or all        levels have a true fail, to enable monetization through        purchasing extra moves;    -   in which there is a continuous musical soundtrack, such as a        waltz, that plays during gameplay    -   in which the game generates and displays congratulatory messages        when the player scores more than a predefined amount, or matches        more than a predefined number of game elements, in a single move    -   in which there is an algorithm for automatically detecting when        there are no possible moves left    -   in which there is an algorithm for re-shuffling the elements on        the game board.    -   in which a processor generates, if no move has been made for a        while, help or hints by brightening and enlarging game elements        used in a possible move on the board with a flashing animation,        such as an animation that occurs once, or repeats twice or        thrice    -   in which a processor is programmed to require a player to reach        a target score before running out of moves in order to complete        a level successfully, but completing the level is not timed    -   in which a processor is programmed to automatically replenish a        life for a player in 30 minutes    -   in which a processor is programmed so that, if a player finishes        a level in under the target number of moves, then random game        elements on the game board are triggered and give the player        bonus points    -   in which a processor is programmed so that, if a level is        finished with moves left, those moves are converted to special        game elements that trigger for extra bonus points    -   in which a processor is programmed so that the game generates        and displays congratulatory messages when the player scores more        than a predefined amount, or matches more than a predefined        number of game elements, in a single move    -   in which a processor is programmed so that the player can ask        his friends for lives    -   in which a processor is programmed so that the player can ask        his friends for other help    -   in which social network friends are prompted to assist another        player if that other player has played, but not completed, a        level meeting a certain criteria    -   in which a processor is programmed so that the player can send        gifts to friends    -   in which a processor is programmed so that the game can be        synchronized between different devices    -   in which a processor is programmed so that a player can        seamlessly stop and re-start playing the game at any time since        game state information is stored, e.g. remotely and/or on the        playing device    -   in which every change in the game state, such as every move of a        game piece by the user, and every consequential change in every        game piece on the game board, is accompanied by sound and visual        feedback to provide immediate, positive gratification to the        player    -   in which game state information is preserved, enabling a remote        server system to identify a player and all aspects of the state        of the game they are playing, so that the player can end game        play on one device and resume from a different device at a later        time at exactly the same state    -   in which the different device can be a different type of device,        so that the player can move seamlessly between playing the game        on a smartphone and on a tablet    -   in which a remote server system can identify a player because        that player has accessed the game through a social network    -   in which the game is a casual, social game, namely a game that        can be downloaded as an app to a smartphone and/or tablet        computer and which can be accessed or played using a social        network application or environment    -   in which the processor is programmed to show a virtual path or        other virtual world that indicates the level reached by the        player and that player's social network friends    -   in which the design of the game is optimised through a process        including the step of: using data analytics to understand the        impact of changes to the game design in terms of player        engagement and/or monetisation and/or viralisation and;        implementing changes to the game design, including frequent        changes such as daily or weekly changes, to optimise player        engagement and/or monetisation and/or viralisation.

A second aspect is:

A computing device adapted to play a computer game, the device includinga processor, a memory, a display, a touch screen or a cursor based inputdevice, and computer code stored in device memory or on a remote serverand executable by the device processor or a remote processor, and inwhich the computer code generates computer game graphics for the displayon the device; and in which one or more processors are programmed suchthat:

-   -   in the game, a player is automatically allocated lives, is only        permitted to play a game if it has one or more lives left, and        loses one or more lives if it fails a level;    -   and in which a player can see which of their friends on the        social network are playing, or have played, the game and the        level they have reached;    -   and in which the processor enables players who are friends on        the social network to collaborate, including by sending a        message to their friends, or a subset of their friends,        transferring in-game assistance, such as a life or lives, or        moves or boosters or in-game currency.

A third aspect is:

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions forcontrolling a computer system to display a game on a display; and inwhich the instructions running on the processor(s) are such that:

-   -   in the game, a player is automatically allocated lives, is only        permitted to play a game if it has one or more lives left, and        loses one or more lives if it fails a level;    -   and in which a player can see which of their friends on the        social network are playing, or have played, the game and the        level they have reached;    -   and in which the processor enables players who are friends on        the social network to collaborate, including by sending a        message to their friends, or a subset of their friends,        transferring in-game assistance, such as a life or lives, or        moves or boosters or in-game currency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows one implementation of a level.

FIG. 2 shows one implementation of a level.

FIG. 3 shows one implementation of a map view.

FIG. 4 shows one implementation of a virtual map.

FIG. 5 shows one implementation of a game board's shape within a 9×9square grid.

FIG. 6 shows a second implementation of a game board's shape within a9×9 square grid.

FIG. 7 shows one implementation of a level where the goal is to reach aset score before running out of moves.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a timed level.

FIG. 9 shows one implementation of an Ingredients level.

FIG. 10 shows one implementation of an Ingredients level.

FIG. 11 shows one implementation of a level with the goal to clear allJelly and reaching a certain target score.

FIG. 12 shows one implementation of an Order level.

FIG. 13 shows one implementation on how to visualise hints.

FIG. 14 shows one implementation's possible matching patterns.

FIG. 15 shows some examples from one implementation's game elements.

FIG. 16 shows one implementation of different outcomes when makingmatches.

FIG. 17 shows one implementation's six different Wrapped candies.

FIG. 18 shows the triggering of a Wrapped candy its explosion.

FIG. 19 shows how to create a Colour bomb.

FIG. 20 shows a triggered Colour bomb element.

FIG. 21 shows an example of some special candies.

FIG. 22 shows the triggering of a Lucky candy.

FIG. 23 shows one implementation where game elements have gone through ateleporter.

FIG. 24 shows one implementation of animations from special gameelements.

FIG. 25 shows one implementation of two wrapped candies and theircombined explosion.

FIG. 26 shows the effect of a Striped candy and a Colour bomb combined.

FIG. 27 shows the animation and effect of two matched Colour Bombs.

FIG. 28 shows a cross section of the game board and on what layersblockers are placed.

FIG. 29 shows one implementation of the various blockers in the game.

FIG. 30 shows one implementation of the Coconut wheel.

FIG. 31 shows the activation and use of a coconut wheel.

FIG. 32 shows one implementation of the Lollipop booster.

FIG. 33 shows one implementation when using the Free Switch booster.

FIG. 34 shows one implementation when using the Sweet Teeth booster.

FIG. 35 Shows one implementation of the Bubble-gum Troll booster.

FIG. 36 shows one implementation of the different stages of theBubble-gum Troll booster.

FIG. 37 shows one implementation where the player can ask or pay forlives.

FIG. 38 shows one implementation of the shop's Charms section.

FIG. 39 shows one implementation of the shop's presents section.

FIG. 40 shows one implementation of the tutorial.

FIG. 41 shows one implementation of a typical game board layout.

FIG. 42 shows an alternative implementation of the flow of falling gameelements.

FIG. 43 shows an alternative implementation of the flow of falling gameelements.

FIG. 44 shows one implementation of a pre-level screen.

FIG. 45 shows one implementation of a pre-level screen for an alreadycompleted level.

FIG. 46 shows one implementation of a mobile version pre-level screen.

FIG. 47 shows one implementation of a post-level screen.

FIG. 48 shows one implementation of a post-level screen.

FIG. 49 shows one implementation when a friend has been beaten.

FIG. 50 shows one implementation of sharing information.

FIG. 51 shows one implementation of a mobile version post-level screen.

FIG. 52 shows one implementation of the screen when a level has beenfailed.

FIG. 53 shows one implementation of an updating the service message.

FIG. 54 shows one implementation of a virtual map.

FIG. 55 shows one implementation of a map.

FIG. 56 shows the navigator hidden.

FIG. 57 shows the navigator expanded.

FIG. 58 shows one implementation with the navigator hidden in a mapview.

FIG. 59 shows one implementation of the navigator.

FIG. 60 shows one implementation where the player has jumped to anotherpart of the map.

FIG. 61 shows one implementation with clouds indicating there is more tobe seen.

FIG. 62 shows one implementation with an arrow point up both on the mapand the navigator.

FIG. 63 shows one implementation where the navigator has reached the endof the map.

FIG. 64 shows one implementation when the home button has been pressed.

FIG. 65 shows an alternative implementation of the navigator withfilters and multiple choices.

FIG. 66 shows how to zoom out on a touch screen device.

FIG. 67 shows how to zoom in on a touch screen device.

FIG. 68 shows one implementation when sending lives to friends.

FIG. 69 shows one implementation of received gifts and messages.

FIG. 70 shows one implementation for a mobile version of a message list.

FIG. 71 shows one implementation of friends' progress and the option tosend extra moves.

FIG. 72 shows one implementation where the game prompts the player tosend help to friends.

FIG. 73 shows one implementation of an in-game animation connected to acertain game episode.

FIG. 74 shows friends that are playing the game.

FIG. 75 shows all friends.

FIG. 76 shows the third tab with social network friends that havereceived requests or invites.

FIG. 77 shows one implementation of indication when a button has beenpressed.

FIG. 78 shows one implementation where a game element has been clicked.

FIG. 79 shows examples of animations when removing or triggering variousgame elements.

FIG. 80 shows one implementation of a synchronization indicator.

FIG. 81 shows different ways of implementing a score meter and theresults of other players.

FIG. 82 shows an animation on a virtual map.

FIG. 83 Schematic illustration of a computing device.

FIG. 84—Exemplary environment.

FIG. 85 shows a collaboration block.

FIG. 86 shows a collaboration block where the player has received helpfrom three other players of the game.

FIG. 87—Collaboration block pop-up showing three available options forpassing; Connecting to Facebook to ask friends, Unlock now with apurchase, or Play mystery quests.

FIG. 88—Main page for the Mystery Quests. Quest information for onelevel of the Mystery Quest is shown, specifying required score and whichlevel will be played.

FIG. 89—Pre-level screen for a mystery quest level.

FIG. 90—Failing to complete a mystery quest.

FIG. 91—Post-level screen after completing a Mystery Quest 1.

FIG. 92—Screen showing the progress of completing all Mystery Quests.

FIG. 93 An example of the flow.

FIG. 94 A typical user flow for using SMS to end a request.

FIG. 95 A typical user flow for email.

FIG. 96 A typical user flow using a micro-blogging service such asTwitter.

FIG. 97 Game friend-user experience.

FIG. 98 Game flow help system.

FIG. 99 Link recipient behaviour.

FIG. 100 Help request experience.

FIG. 101 shows a banner notification.

FIG. 102 shows an notifications tab in settings.

FIG. 103 shows notification settings turned off.

FIG. 104 shows notification settings turned on.

FIG. 105 shows an alert notification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The terms user and player are used interchangeably throughout thisdocument and no specific meaning is intended using one or the otherunless the context suggests otherwise.

In the following description of various implementations of theinvention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form apart thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration variousimplementations in which the invention may be utilized. It is to beunderstood that other implementations may be utilized, and structuraland functional modifications may be made without departing from thescope of the present invention.

FIG. 83 shows a schematic picture of a computing device, containing aCentral Processing Unit and Random Access Memory. The CPU acts accordingto input given from input devices, such as a keyboard, mouse ortouchscreen. Computer BUSes are used to communicate, both between inputdevices and the CPU, but also between different controllers within thecomputer device, such as the graphics controller and the networkcontroller. These controllers in turn communicate with external devices,such as a monitor for video output with which the graphics controllercommunicates, and the network controller communicates with for instancethe internet, through wireless or wired connections. A user can interactwith the computing device through input devices, such as a pointingdevice (e.g. a mouse) and a keyboard.

FIG. 84 portrays an exemplary overall environment in which the presentinvention can be utilized. A virtual game is stored on for instance agame server 210. The virtual game is to be played on a client device,such as a computer 240, 250 or a smartphone or other handheld device260. The client device can also be a kiosk, arcade gaming station, smartTV or other device with computing capabilities, input devices and ascreen that can present the game to a user. The client devicecommunicates with a game server 210 and a social network server 230, forinstance through the Internet 220 or other network. It should beunderstood that the social network 230 and the game server 210 does nothave to be located in different places, they could be on the same serveror on a plurality of servers located in different locations. Anenvironment where the invention may be implemented is described inPCT/EP2013/060641 which is hereby incorporated by reference.

People skilled in the art will understand that other devices than theexemplary ones listed can be also be used without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

The techniques described in this patent can be deployed in manydifferent gameplay architectures. For example, a computer game can beimplemented as a computer program that is stored and runs entirelylocally on the processor of a PC, games console, tablet or mobiletelephone or other computing device. The game can be implemented solelyas a computer program that is stored and runs entirely on one of manyprocessors in a remote server, and data streams or updates are suppliedto the client device (e.g. tablet, smartphone etc.) to enable the clientto render and display graphics and sounds; this ‘web services’ approachis increasingly common.

Another approach is a hybrid one, in which back-end servers handle someelements of the gameplay, and for instance a Java game applet isprovided to client devices and it is the locally running Java appletthat generates the graphics/sounds/user interaction for gameplay on theplayer's client device. Some data may be fed back to the back-endservers to enable scoring, interaction with other players andcross-platform synchronisation. Generally, the techniques described inthis specification are not specific to any one game architecture but canbe deployed on any suitable game architecture.

The game can be implemented allowing a user to interact with it indifferent ways depending on the capabilities of the device which theuser is accessing the game with. A user can interact with the gamethrough using a touch screen where the user can select and/or moveelements on the game board with a finger or for instance with a stylus.The game can also be played with a pointing device such as a mouse orother interaction devices such as a keyboard.

Mobile devices may have a touch screen interface where the player caninteract with the game using a finger or a pointing device such as astylus. Some mobile devices have hard keys that complement the touchscreen interface. Such hard keys may be in the form of a button or inthe form of a joystick type of interaction.

Over the course of players playing the game, data will be produced. Thisdata can for instance be related to a player's game performance or togame information related to a social network to which the game isconnected. It is possible to gather this data, store it and make use ofit for instance to improve the game. One example is by using a databaseto store the amount of times players try and fail a level on average.This data can then be reviewed, and if the players seem to fail asubstantial amount of times before completing a level, the difficultycan be adjusted accordingly. The difficulty can be adjusted throughchanging a score target for the level, increasing the available time ormoves or giving the player for instance a booster to enhance thegameplay.

There can be certain performance indicators used to measure the successof the game. These indicators can for instance relate to playerretention, the virality of the game and the revenue of the game.

A person skilled in the art will realise that the different approachesto implementing the game is not exhaustive, what is described herein arecertain preferred embodiments. It is possible to implement the way in anumber of variations without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention.

The terms user and player are used interchangeably throughout thisdocument and no specific meaning is intended using one or the otherunless the context suggests otherwise.

Introduction to the Game

The following description will describe some implementations of theinventions described in the document. The examples will be from the gameCandy Crush Saga™ by King™. The person skilled in the art willunderstand that there are many other ways the present ideas can beimplemented and the description is not limited to only oneimplementation.

GLOSSARY/TERMS

Game board: The area where the matching and swapping of elements occur.

Game elements: All elements that appear on the game board.

Standard game elements: These are the six basic candies used for makingswitches and colour matches on the game board. Compared to special gameelements, the standard game elements have no extra properties orbehaviour, they are only used to make colour combinations or to createnew special game elements.

Ingredients: Game elements that are included in levels where one of thegoals to complete the level is to bring down ingredient elements to thebottom of the game board.

Jelly block: A game element that is placed underneath other gameelements and need one or two matches on top of them to disappear.

Special game elements: All elements that appear on the game board andwhich have specific behaviours and properties.

Striped candy: A special candy with a line blast effect which means itremoves one row or one column.

Line blast: An effect which removes one row or one column.

Moves & Score Level: In this game mode you have a limited number ofswitches before running out of moves. If you have not reached the scorerequired to earn at least 1 Star, then you will fail the level.

Jelly Level: In this game mode the game board behind the candy iscovered in jelly. Remove the jelly by matching candy on top of thejelly. If you fail to remove all jelly before running out of moves thenyou will fail the level.

Ingredients Level: In this game mode, ingredients will appear on thegame board. Collect these ingredients by bringing them to their deliverypoint. On the side of the board you will see a recipe of how manyingredients you need to collect. If you do not bring down all theingredients before running out of moves then you will fail the level.

Time Limited Level: In this game mode there is a time limit. If you havenot reached the score required to earn at least 1 Star when the timeruns out, then you will fail the level.

Candy Order level: In this game mode, you are tasked with collecting anumber of candies. This is done by removing the wanted candies. If youhave not collected all the wanted candies before running out of movesthen you will fail the level.

Bomb element: a candy in wrapped paper which removes candies in a 3×3square area.

Wrapped candy: a candy in wrapped paper which removes candies in a 3×3square area.

Colour Bomb Removes all candies of the colour it is being swapped with.

Booster: Something that enhances the gameplay and that supports,assists, or increases power or effectiveness.

Blocker: Special game elements that are unswappable, need 1 or morematches next to them to disappear and are in the way for fallingcandies.

Candy Crush Saga™ by the games developer King™ is a game belonging tothe match-3 category of games. This means that the core basic of thegame is to match three or more game elements sharing the same colourwith each other. In Candy Crush Saga, these game elements areimplemented as candies. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 shows one implementation ofthe first level in Candy Crush Saga™ where candies have to be matched tocomplete the level.

The game has more than 350 different levels and not all of those levelshave the same requirements to be completed. Simply matching three ormore game elements is not enough to complete all levels in the game butthe player has to meet certain goals as well. These goals could be toreach a certain amount of points before running out of moves or time; tobring down certain game elements to the bottom of the screen; to removea certain amount of game elements before running out of moves or tocollect certain game elements through specific matches before runningout of moves.

If the game becomes difficult there are boosters to help the player passa level. These can be obtained from in-game purchases or received asgifts from Facebook friends.

The game also has a candy land themed map view, FIG. 3 illustrates oneimplementation of this where the map can be scrolled up and down. Themap view shows what levels have been completed as well as how manylevels are left to play.

Throughout the game and for each level completed, the player journeysacross the map and follows the story of a girl who is journeying throughthe candy land. The map is also divided into different areas where eacharea has its own candy theme as well as a small story connected to thatarea.

If the player has connected to a social network by entering logindetails through a prompt in the game, then friends' progress from thesame network can be viewed on the map by the means of their portraitnext to the highest level they have currently reached.

If the player connects to the social network Facebook when playing thegame, then the game will automatically synchronize and either downloador upload the latest changes in the progression of the game. Forexample, the player could have played the game on another computer viaFacebook's own platform and if the player then later decides to play onfor example their iPhone, the latest updates would be sent to thisdevice. As long as the player is connected to the internet and haslogged in to Facebook via the game, then the game will automaticallysynchronize and send data to Facebook, making it possible for the playerto play on any computer, iOS device or Android device without having tostart the game over. This makes the place to play very flexible.

Rules Basic Moves and Combinations Moves

To play Candy Crush Saga, game elements in the shape of candies areswapped with each other to make moves on a game board. To gain pointsthe player has to make moves that create matches of at least three ofthe same candy. If doing so, the player gains points and the matchedcandies are removed, see FIG. 14. As a result, new candies fall intoplace from the top of the game board in order to fill any empty spacescreated. For all candies that are removed on the game board, points arealways shown in the same colour as the candy that was removed, forexample three red candies will show red points, green candies greenpoints and so on. If a blocker element would be removed then the pointsshown would be in the same colour as the candies from the match thatremoved it.

Only swapping moves that will create at least one combination of atleast three game elements of the same type are allowed.

Limited Number of Moves

A typical game mode of Candy Crush Saga provides the player with alimited number of moves to reach the level target.

In some implementations additional moves can be earned by good gameplay.

The Game Board

The Candy Crush Saga game board comes in various shapes and sizes. Themaximum size is a grid of 9×9 squares but within those limits the shapeand size varies between the levels played (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6). Thisgives more variety to the game compared to many other games in thematch-3 genre where the game board always looks the same.

Different Goals to Complete Levels

To add more diversity and make Candy Crush Saga™ a more dynamic game,players have to fulfil different criteria in order to complete differentlevels; these are referred to as goals. Each level always has one ormore goals that have to be fulfilled in order to complete that level.

Reach a Set Score Before Running Out of Moves

One of Candy Crush Saga's most common goals is to collect a certainamount of points before running out of moves, FIG. 7 illustrates this.The points are collected through making matching combinations on thegame board. The smarter combinations made, the more points.

Reach a Set Score Before Running Out of Time

Candy Crush Saga also has timed levels. The goal that needs to befulfilled on these levels is to collect a certain amount of pointsbefore time runs out, see FIG. 8. The smarter combinations made, themore points.

Bring Down Ingredients

Some levels are referred to as Ingredients levels. The Ingredientslevels have two goals which need to be fulfilled in order to completethe level:

-   -   The player has to reach a certain target score before running        out of moves.    -   The player has to bring down a certain number of so-called        ingredients to the bottom of the game board before running out        of moves. When the ingredients reach the bottom of the game        board they disappear and candies above them take their place.        Ingredients are game elements shaped as fruits or nuts and only        exist for this specific goal. They are not matchable with other        game elements but they can be switched with other game elements.

FIG. 9 illustrates one implementation of an Ingredients level. Thearrows at the bottom of the game board indicate where the ingredients(here depicted as cherries and nuts) can fall down. If there is no arrowat the bottom then the ingredients can not fall down that way.

FIG. 10 illustrates another implementation where ingredients do notalways have to fall down at the bottom of the game board may also falldown higher up, as long as they reach the edge of the game board and theedge has an ingredients indication arrow.

Clear Jelly

One of the most frequent set of goals in Candy Crush Saga is the oneused for levels that contain Jelly blocks. Jelly blocks are gameelements that are found underneath other game elements and need one ortwo matches on top of them to disappear (See description elsewhere). Thegoals that need to be fulfilled on levels with Jelly blocks are:

-   -   Reach target score before running out of moves (as described        elsewhere)    -   Remove all jelly blocks before running out of moves

FIG. 11 illustrates one implementation of a level where the player hasto clear all Jelly blocks as well as reaching a certain target score inorder to complete the level.

Collect Certain Elements

Another type of level Candy Crush Saga has introduced to their varietyof game modes is a so-called Order level. Order levels have two goals:

-   -   Reach target score before running out of moves (as described        elsewhere).    -   Collect certain amount of candies through specific matches as        well as achieving hard to make combos specified on the level        played.

FIG. 12 illustrates a typical order level where in this example, 20pieces of three different game elements need to be collected throughmatches in order to complete the level. The target of the level can herebe seen on the left side of the image.

Balance Mode

In this game mode, players are required to collect an even amount of twocolours of candies to complete the level. The level goal can beindicated with a scale where the two different types of candies to becollected are placed on either side. When the count is unbalanced, oneside of a scale starts tipping, the bigger the difference the faster ittips. If one end touches bottom level has failed. Score is given to theplayer based on the number of moves it takes to collect the requiredamount of the two colours.

Crescendo Mode

The goal of this game mode is to light up all squares/cells on the gameboard. In some implementations, the requirement to light up a cell is tocombine a candy that is in that cell. In other implementations, theplayer has to combine multiple candies in the same cell before it lightsup.

Digging Mode

In this game mode, players are required to combine candies in cellsadjacent to blockers in order to ‘dig’ down in the level. When digging,the player can uncover objects that are covered initially.

Multiple Game Modes

All of the game modes described herein can also be used in anycombination with one another. For instance, the requirement to completeone level could be to remove all jelly as well as bringing downingredients.

Basic Rules How to Play

If the player tries to make a move with two candies in such a way thatno candy will be matched with at least two more of its own colour, thenthe move will not be allowed and the player will have to try to findanother move.

If no moves are possible on the game board then all the candies arereshuffled so that there will always be at least one possible moveavailable. If the player can't see or find a move to make, then the gamehelps the player by giving a hint. The hint is displayed after a fewseconds of inactivity and is shown by brightening and magnifying thecandies of a possible move in a flashing animation, see FIG. 13.

Advanced Rule

Not only the match of 3 candies is allowed but matches of more candiescan also be done; see FIG. 14 for the different possible match patterns.Matches with more than 3 candies give more points and is something theplayer should try and aim for. Different acceptable matches are:

-   -   Match of 3 in a line.    -   Match of four in a vertical line.    -   Match of four in a horizontal line.    -   Match of five in a vertical line.    -   Match of five in a horizontal line.    -   Match of five in a T-shape.    -   Match of five in an L-shape.    -   Match of 6 or more candies in a combination of 4-in-a-row,        5-in-a-row, T- and L-shapes.

As can be noticed from the list of possible matches, no diagonal matchesare accepted. Diagonal matches and/or swaps can be allowed in someimplementations of the game.

Combos to Receive Special Elements

Matches made of four or more candies not only give more points but alsoreward the player with special game elements. The special game elementsreceived from combos have various positive properties and can be used togain more points and to easier pass a level. The elements received fromdifferent matches are:

-   -   4-in-a-row: Striped candy    -   L- or T-shape: Wrapped candy    -   5-in-a-row: Colour bomb

If a match is made with more than 6 candies, then it is likely that thecombo is a shape merged from 4-in-a-row, 5-in-a-row, L-shape andT-shape. If so, there is a hierarchy of what kind of special element isreceived:

-   -   If there is a merge of 4-in-a-row and an L- or T-shape, then the        special game element received will be the same as from an L- or        T-shape. L- and T-shapes give the same special game element.    -   If there is a merge of 5-in-a-row and an L- or T-shape, then the        special game element received will be the same as from a        5-in-a-row combo.

How to Trigger Special Elements

To use the special game elements received from combos there are twodifferent ways:

-   -   Some of the special game elements are triggered through a        standard match with two or more candies of the same colour as        the special game element.    -   Some of the special game elements are triggered by swapping        place with any candy regardless if a match-3 is made.        Combining Special Elements with Each Other

Special game elements received from matches can be combined with eachother for various positive effects affecting the game board. Stripedcandies, Wrapped candies and Colour bombs can all be matched with eachother. To trigger these combos they do not need to be matched by gameelements of the same colour but can simply be swapped with each otherfor an instant trigger.

Points

The points given for different combinations and removals of blocks are:

-   -   3-in-a-row: 60 points    -   4-in-a-row: 120 points    -   5-in-a-row: 200 points    -   T-shape: 200 points    -   L-shape: 200 points    -   Break a Jelly block: 1000 points    -   Break a Frosting block: 20 points/per block    -   Break a Chocolate block: 20 points/per block    -   Get an ingredient to the bottom of the screen: 10 000 points    -   Using a special game element to remove other game elements: 60        points/per game element removed

Game Elements Standard Game Elements

In Candy Crush Saga there are 6 standard game elements (see FIG. 15)which all look like candies:

-   -   Purple candy in the shape of a flower    -   Blue candy in the shape of a sphere    -   Green candy in the shape of a square block    -   Red candy in the shape of a tilted bean    -   Yellow candy in the shape of a drop    -   Orange candy in the shape of an oval

Special Game Elements

Special game elements can either be received from special combos or froman automatic placement on the game board.

Special Game Elements Received from Combos

Striped Candy How to Generate a Striped Candy

A Striped candy is given by matching four candies of the same colour ina horizontal or vertical line.

Looks

The Striped candies have the same shape and colour as the standard gameelements except for that they have white vertical or horizontal lines onthem, see FIG. 15. The colour and the shape of the striped candy will bethe same as the candies' which were being matched to create it.

If the match of four candies is done in a horizontal line then a candywith vertical lines will be given. If a match of four candies is done ina vertical line, then a candy with horizontal lines will be given.

Effect

Striped candies removes a whole row or column depending on if it wasmade from a vertical or horizontal combo. The white lines on the candyindicates whether it will remove a row or a column. To trigger a Stripedcandy it needs to be matched with two more candies of the same colour.

Striped candies removes all candies in a row or column also if the gameboard is divided up in two or more areas that are not connected. Theplayer can this way remove candies from areas that otherwise would behard or impossible to find combinations in. The impact of different gameboard designs are described elsewhere in this document.

Animation when Used

When a Striped candy is being triggered, an animation shoots out of theStriped candy following the row or column which it is removing. Theanimation looks something like the candy being stretched out and turnedinto lines that shoot out together with a sparkle effect. For allcandies that are being removed, the points given for each candy will beshown in the same colour as the candy being removed. See FIG. 16 for anexample of triggered horizontal and vertical striped candies and theanimation they come with.

Wrapped Candy How to Generate a Wrapped Candy

A Wrapped candy is given by having an L- or T-shaped combination, seeFIG. 16.

Looks

The Wrapped candies have the same shape and colour as standard gameelements but with a wrapping around them, see FIG. 17. The colour andthe shape of the Wrapped candy will be the same as the candies' whichwere being matched to create it.

Effect

The Wrapped candy is triggered by matching it with two more candies ofthe same colour. The result of the trigger are two explosions removingcandies in a 3×3 square around the Wrapped candy. The first explosionoccurs instantly when the Wrapped candy is being triggered, the secondexplosion occurs after all candies from the first explosion have beenremoved and replaced with new candies. If the Wrapped candy is at theedge of the game board an explosion will happen but there is no effectfrom the part of the explosion area that is outside of the game board.

Animation when Used

When a Wrapped candy detonates, an animation with sparkling effect andlight circles is shown with the Wrapped candy in the centre of theanimation, see FIG. 18.

Colour Bomb How to Generate a Colour Bomb

A Colour bomb is received when matching five candies in a vertical orhorizontal line, see FIG. 19.

Looks

The Colour ball looks like a chocolate sweet. A round ball with multicoloured sprinkles on it.

Effect

To trigger the Colour bomb it can be swapped with any candy, no match-3is necessary. When the Colour bomb is triggered, it removes all candiesof the same colour as the candy that was used to trigger it.

Animation when Used

When the Colour bomb is being used. Blue coloured lightning bolts shootsout from the colour bomb to all candies that are going to be removed,see FIG. 20.

Other Special Game Elements Mystery Candy

How to generate a Mystery Candy

Mystery Candies are placed randomly on the game board and do not need aspecial combination to appear.

Looks

The Mystery candies have an oval flattened shape which is slightlytilted and with a question mark painted onto it, see FIG. 21. TheMystery candy comes in the 6 standard candy colours.

Effect

To use the mystery candy it needs to be included in a standard match-3with candies of the same colour as the Mystery candy. The Mystery candywill then turn into a random game element which could have eitherpositive or negative impact for the player. It could for example turninto a Striped candy or a Colour bomb, or it could turn into somethingless fortunate for example a spreading chocolate block (see descriptionelsewhere) or a bomb that counts down and explodes to make the playergame over.

Animation when Used

When the Mystery candies are used in a combination they burst and turninto a random element.

Lucky Candy How to Generate a Lucky Candy

Lucky candies are inserted on the game board automatically when havingselected a pre-game booster which specifically adds Lucky candies to thecandy mix on the game board.

Looks

The Lucky candy looks like a flattened sphere with a white tick markpainted on top of it, see FIG. 21. The candy comes in all the 6 standardcandy colours.

Effect

To use the Lucky candy it need to be matched with two more candies ofthe same colour. The Lucky candy will then turn into a random positivegame element.

Animation when Used

When the Lucky candy is being matched it looks like it is unwrapped andbehind the wrap it reveals the new game element, see FIG. 22.

Fish How to Generate a Fish

Fishes are placed on the game board by selecting a pre-game booster thatspecifically does so. Further ahead in the game the Fish can also appearrandomly on the game board.

Looks

The Fish looks like a candy jelly fish, see FIG. 21. It comes in thesame colours as the standard 6 candies.

Effect

The fish is used by matching it with two more candies of the samecolour. Doing so will trigger 3 fishes to swim into the screen andremove a total of three random pieces on the game board. If there areJelly blocks or other blockers then the game will prioritize to removethose before removing a candy that stands on an empty square.

Animation when Used

When the Fish is used it swims away out of the screen and then threeFishes swim into the screen, remove one block or candy each and thendisappears. The Fishes appearing are in the same colour as the fish thatwas in the combo.

Wrapped Fish How to Generate a Wrapped Fish

A Wrapped fish is obtained if switching a Wrapped candy with a Fish. TheWrapped candy and the Fish do not need to be of the same colour.Furthermore the Wrapped fish will be triggered instantly and can not besaved for later use.

Looks

The Wrapped fish looks like the standard candy Fish but with a wrapperaround it. The Wrapped fish comes in all the 6 standard candy colours.

Effect

When the Fish is switched with the Wrapped candy, the effect of theWrapped fish is triggered immediately. Three random game elements willbe turned into Wrapped candies which trigger instantly and explodes twotimes like the standard Wrapped candy.

Animation when Used

The Wrapped fish created from the switch with the Wrapped candy swimsout of view and comes back with two more Wrapped fishes that swim ontothe game board and to the position where the Wrapped candies will becreated. Having reached the position the Wrapped fishes disappear.

Polka Fish How to Generate a Polka Fish

This fish is given when combining a Fish with a Striped candy. TheStriped candy and the Fish do not need to be of the same colour.Furthermore the Polka fish will be triggered instantly and can not besaved for later use.

Looks

The Polka fish looks like a standard candy Fish but with the same kindof stripes as the Striped candy.

Effect

The Polka fish turns three random candies into 3 randomly vertical orhorizontal Striped candies which in turn are instantly triggered andcreates 3 line blast effects.

Animation when Used

In one implementation, as with the standard candy Fish and the WrappedFish, the created Polka fish swims out of view and returns with two morePolka fishes of the same colour which then swims to the position of thecandies that are to be turned into triggered line blast elements. Havingreached their destination the Polka fishes disappear.

Polka Dotted Fish

This fish is acquired by combining a colour bomb with a fish. The Polkadotted fish is instantly triggered from this combination and swims outof the screen to bring three new Polka dotted fishes. The new Polkadotted fishes swim to three random locations on the game board and turn1 game element each into a new Fish. The three new fishes will in turnswim out of the screen and then bring three new fishes each so that atotal of nine new fishes swim onto the game board to nine randompositions on the game board where they remove one game element each.After this the fishes disappear. The total effect of the initial triggerof the Polka dotted fish is that 12 game elements have been removed fromthe game board. Furthermore, if there are squares with Jelly blocks on,the fishes will always go to these first.

Colour Changing Candy How to Generate a Colour Changing Candy

These candies are placed automatically on the game board. They couldalso be a resulting candy when having used a mystery candy.

Looks

Like a standard candy but with a soft glow around it and an animation ofa rainbow passing by over the surface of the candy.

Effect

The candy changes between two colours for every switch made on the gameboard.

Teleporter

This is a game element that is automatically placed on a fixed positionon an edge of one of the cells in the game board. The teleporter willtypically be placed on the game board in pairs where one of theteleporters act as an entry point for candies falling on the game boardacross the cell edge where the teleporter sits. The candy will then beintroduced on the game board where the exit point teleporter sits. So ifa candy is normally falling one way from the top of the game board tothe bottom of the game board, the teleporter can move a candy up thegame board again or to another area of the game board.

The teleporter does not fall down or take space on the area whereswitching is done and it is never included in any colour combinations.

FIG. 23 shows one implementation of a level with teleporters. If gameelements on the right side of the game board would be removed, then gameelements from the left side of the game board will fall through theteleporters located on the bottom left of the game board and come out ofthe teleporters located on the top right of the game board, filling upthe emptied space created.

Jelly Blocks

Jelly blocks are introduced early in the game and a typical goal tocomplete a level is to remove all Jelly blocks on the game board.

The Jelly blocks are placed behind candies and are stuck into place.They can not be swapped and they do not fall down if candies below themare being removed.

To remove a Jelly block a match has to be made on top of it. SometimesJelly blocks consist of two layers and then they need two matches on topof them to be removed.

Candy Cannon

This is a visible game mechanic. In one implementation it can indicatewhere liquorice, bombs, and ingredients are set to appear.

Combining Special Game Elements

Special game elements can be combined with each other through a simpleswitch. Doing so creates powerful effects that help the player earn morepoints and to easier pass a level.

The different combos and effects received are:

-   -   Two Striped candies    -   Two Wrapped candies    -   One Striped and one Wrapped candy    -   One Wrapped candy and one Colour bomb    -   One Striped candy and one Colour bomb    -   Two Colour bombs    -   Fish and Colour bomb

Two Striped Candies

Combining two Striped candies will trigger two simultaneous line blastswhere one row and one column is removed in a cross shaped way, see FIG.24. It does not matter if the Striped candies combined are horizontal orvertical. The column and row blasts will be initiated from the positionwhich the moved striped candy has been moved to.

Two Wrapped Candies

Swapping any two Wrapped candies with each other will create a doubleexplosion as with a standard Wrapped candy, the difference being thatthe area of effect will be much larger (see FIG. 25) and removeeverything in a 6×5 square area or a 5×6 square area depending on if theWrapped candies are placed next to each other horizontally orvertically.

One Striped and One Wrapped Candy

Combining any Striped candy with any Wrapped candy will trigger 3horizontal and 3 vertical line blast effects. The result is threeadjacent rows being removed (see FIG. 24) and thereafter three adjacentcolumns being removed (see FIG. 24).

One Wrapped Candy and One Colour Bomb

Combining these two will first remove all candies of the same colour asthe Wrapped candy. After that the Colour bomb will be triggered a secondtime and remove all candies of a random colour.

One Striped Candy and One Colour Bomb

The combination of these two special candies will turn all candies ofthe same colour as the Striped candy into randomly vertical orhorizontal Striped candies which are then instantly triggered and fillsthe game board with line blasts. In FIG. 26, a Colour bomb has beenmatched with an orange Striped candy, turning all orange candies intoStriped candies which are then automatically triggered.

Two Colour Bombs

Combining two Colour bombs will remove all game elements on the gameboard except if a game element is a multi-layered blocker (seedescription elsewhere). If a game element has more than one layer thenone of those layers will be removed. FIG. 27 displays one implementationof the animation when two colour bombs have been combined.

Coconut Wheel and Colour Bomb

First, all candies which the game board has the most of will be removed.After those candies have been removed, the Coconut wheel will roll overthe board and every candy it rolls over will turn into stripes.

Coconut Wheel and Striped Candy

With this combination, the Coconut wheel will roll over the board andturn all candies it rolls over into Striped candies that instantlytriggers.

Coconut Wheel and Wrapped Candy

With this combination, the Coconut wheel turns all candies that it rollsover into Wrapped candies which are then instantly triggered andexplodes.

Overview of Special Combinations

Below is an overview of combinations between special game elements:

Special Combo impact Striped Bomb Colour Bomb Swedish fish Swims awayand triggers Swims away and triggers 5 Turns all 5 random candy of 5candy on unlit spaces candy on unlit spaces to the fish colour into fishthat to turn them to line turn them to activated each swim and trigger 5blasts that activate. bombs. unlit spaces (25 clear). Coconut Does the 3step Does a full 9 step Full wrap around to activate Liquoriceactivation roll twice. activation roll that 9 line blasts (i.e. allvisible Second goes back after triggers touched candy drop). firststops. into activated bombs. Wrap around. Jelly Frog Created big Frog.Fills out both balance Triggers 2 simultaneous counts with 9 each, eachcolour bombs of the 2 explosion taking 1 colour. balance colours. M&Mmultiplier Doubles scores for 10 Doubles scores for 10 Doubles scoresfor 10 seconds and makes each seconds and makes each seconds and makeseach combo trigger a line combo trigger a bomb in combo trigger a colourblast in same period. same period. bomb in same period. Magic chocolateMakes a triple size Makes a chocolate bomb. Makes a triple sizechocolate, same Explodes twice and chocolate, same explosion explosionas other big. reveals an order each as other big. Crack to reveal Crackto reveal next time. next delivery. delivery. Magic chocolate Makes atriple size Makes a chocolate bomb. Makes all of lowest colour alt. Modechocolate, same Explodes twice and into chocolate, collecting explosionas other big. reveals 9 of a missing the converted, then each Crack toreveal 9 extra colour each time (18 small chocolate explodes in of thecolour to collect. collected extra). 5 square cross.

Blockers

The game implements several different kinds of so called Blockers.Blockers are negative game elements that are in the way for the playerwhen wanting to make matches on different areas of the game board.

The different blockers appearing in the game are:

-   -   Frosting blocker    -   1 Layer Frosting    -   2 Layers Frosting    -   3 Layers Frosting    -   4 Layers Frosting    -   5 Layers Frosting    -   Expanding Chocolate blocker    -   Liquorice blocker    -   Locked objects blocker    -   Candy Cannon    -   Chocolate fountain    -   Marmalade    -   Bomb

The blockers can have different properties, some allow candies to sit ontop of them while other allow candies to be included in them. Some fullycover a cell on the game board and are for instance only removed whenthere is an adjacent match of candies.

FIG. 28 illustrates the different layers on the game board and how theblockers are placed on it. Jelly blockers are placed in 1 or 2 layersbehind candies while Frosting and other blockers are placed on the samelevel as candy and may or may not have jelly placed behind them or havea candy inside them.

Frosting Blocker

The frosting blocker (see FIG. 29) appears early in the game andfunctions as an obstacle that is in the way for surrounding candies.Frosting blockers can not be swapped, they are stuck where they are. Toremove the Frosting blocker the player has to create a colour match nextto the blocker.

Layered Frosting

This is another blocker that comes in five different versions (see FIG.29). It can have 1 to 5 layers which means it needs 1 to 5 colourmatches next to it to disappear. A 1-Layer frosting needs one colourmatch, a 2-Layer frosting needs two colour matches and so on. Layeredfrostings are stuck where they are and can not be swapped.

Expanding Chocolate

Another type of blocker found in the game is the Chocolate blocker (seeFIG. 29). It not only blocks a space on the game board but alsomultiplies to block even larger areas of the game board. If a colourcombination is made next to a Chocolate blocker then no Chocolate blockwill multiply and that Chocolate block will be removed. However, if acolour match is made and is not next to a chocolate block then one ofthe Chocolate blocks on the gameboard will multiply and another space onthe game board will be filled with a Chocolate blocker. The space thatreceives a new Chocolate block will always be adjacent to an existingChocolate block, however, which Chocolate block on the game board itwill come from is seemingly random. If all Chocolate blocks on the gameboard have been removed then no new Chocolate blocks will appear.Chocolate blockers can not be swapped and change places but are stuckwhere they are. Chocolate blockers can only multiply to a cell on thegame board that is occupied with a candy.

Liquorice Blocker

Liquorice blockers (see FIG. 29) need one colour match next to them todisappear. What makes them different is that they are not fixed on thegame board but falls down as regular candies. They can be swapped if thecandy they are swapping with is part of a colour match. Liquoriceblockers can not be matched with each other.

Locked Objects Blocker

This blocker is stuck in place and can not be swapped with otherelements (see FIG. 29). The blocker contains a standard candy and can beremoved if it's a part of a colour match with candies of the same colouras the one it is holding. It can not be removed by making colour matchesnext to it.

Chocolate Fountain

The Chocolate fountain (see FIG. 29) is a blocker connected to Chocolateblockers. It creates new Chocolate blockers even if the player asremoved all on the game board. The Chocolate fountain can not beswitched but is stuck in place. The Chocolate fountain can not beremoved.

Marmalade

This is a blocker that holds candies into place so that they can't beswapped (see FIG. 29). The candies may however be part of a colourcombination and if so the Marmalade will disappear. The Marmalade willalso disappear if a colour match is made next to it.

Bomb (Countdown Bomb—One in Each Colour)

The Bomb (see FIG. 29) is an element that exists in all the standard 6candy colours. It falls onto the game board at the same time as newcandies fall into place when colour matches have been made. The bomb isswitchable and falls downwards on the game board like standard candies.The bomb has a timer which counts down for each move that is made by theplayer. If the timer hits zero then the Bomb will explode and the levelwill be failed. The player has to stop the bomb from exploding and thisis done by matching the bomb with two more candies of the same colour orremoving it with the help of a special candy.

Boosters

Candy Crush Saga™ has a wide selection of boosters available to theplayer. Boosters are items or features that help the player by enhancinggameplay and support, assist, or increase power or effectiveness. In thegame, boosters unlock as the player progress through the game. To beable to use a booster the player must pay to top it up with a certainamount of charges, or receive a booster as a gift from a friend. Using abooster once will remove one charge and when there are no charges leftthe booster will need to be topped up again. In the implementation ofthis game the player can choose to use boosters either before starting alevel, when playing a level or when ending a level.

Pre-Level Choice of Boosters

There is an option to choose what boosters to use before starting alevel. This is referred to as a pre-level choice of boosters. Boostersavailable for a pre-level choice are:

-   -   Jelly Fish    -   Coconut Wheel    -   Colour Bomb    -   Extra Time    -   Striped Wrapped    -   Lucky Candy

In-Level Choice of Boosters

The player can choose to use booster in action and at the exact momentwhen they need them. This is an In-level choice. Boosters available foran in-level choice are:

-   -   5 Extra Moves    -   Lollipop Hammer    -   Free Switch    -   Shuffle    -   Bomb Cooler    -   Sweet Teeth    -   Bubble-gum Troll

End-Level Choice of Boosters

If being very close to completing a level but knowing you are not quitethere and the level is about to fail, then there is a choice of boostersat the end-level. Boosters available for an end-level choice are:

-   -   5 Extra Moves    -   Bomb Cooler    -   Extra Time

Charms

Some boosters are permanent and will only have to be purchased one time,these are called Charms. After a first initial payment the Charm will beavailable to the player forever and will never have to be topped up.

Permanent Boosters—Charms

There are three different charms available in Candy Crush Saga™:

-   -   Charm of Life    -   Charm of Stripes    -   Charm of Frozen Time

Charm of Life

Charm of Life increases the maximum number of lives from 5 to 8. It is apassive permanent booster which means it is always in use and the playerdoes not need to do anything to take advantage of its effect. To buy thecharm the player has to pay 169 Facebook Credits which is equivalent to£11.20 GBP. When buying this charm the player receives a free life topup.

Charm of Stripes

This charm is booster that is available when playing a level. It letsthe user create a Striped candy once per game. To use the charm, theplayer clicks on the icon for the charm and then on the candy they wishto transform. To buy the charm the player has to pay 399 FacebookCredits which is equivalent to £26.45 GBP.

Charm of Frozen Time

This charm freezes time on levels with time limits. It's included in thegroup of pre-level choice boosters and if the player wants to use thecharm it will then have to be chosen before starting a level. To gainuse of the Charm of Frozen Time the player has to pay 249 FacebookCredits which is equivalent to £16.51 GBP.

Non Permanent Boosters

The selection of non-permanent boosters are:

-   -   Jelly Fish    -   Coconut Wheel    -   Colour Bomb    -   Extra Time (can be used in different places. End-game)    -   Striped Wrapped    -   Lucky Candy    -   5 Extra Moves (can be used on different places. End game)    -   Lollipop Hammer    -   Free Switch    -   Shuffle    -   Bomb Cooler (can be used in different places. End game)    -   Sweet Teeth    -   Bubble-gum Troll

Jelly Fish

Jelly Fish is a booster that adds Jelly Fishes as game elements on thegame board together with all the standard candies. As describedelsewhere, the Jelly fishes on the game board need to be match with 2more candies of the same colour and if doing so 3 random game elementswill be removed from the game board. To gain access to this booster theplayer has to pay 19 Facebook credits which is equivalent to £1.26 GBP.Paying this will let the player use the booster three times before ithas to be topped up again.

Coconut Wheel

In some implementations, this booster can only be used in ingredientslevels. When using the booster it appears as an extra candy piece on thegame board that looks like a pink round candy with some black candyfilling in the middle (see FIG. 30). To trigger the Coconut wheel it canbe switched with any game element and does not need a colour match.

When triggered, it rolls over the game board in the same direction as itwas switched in. In its path the Coconut wheel transforms 3 standardcandies into Striped candies which in turn are instantly triggered. Whenthe wheel starts spinning it also removes the candy it was swapped with.FIG. 31 illustrates one implementation of the Coconut wheel before ithas be switched with a candy and after is has been activated. Whenactivated, the wheel rolls over the game board and creates three stripedcandies which then automatically triggers.

If the player wants to use this booster they can pay 39 Facebook Creditswhich is equivalent to £2.59 GBP. The booster will then top up and letthe player use it three times before it needs to be topped up again.

Colour Bomb

The Colour bomb booster can be used on all levels. It lets the playerstart a level with one Colour bomb on the game board. To buy it theplayer has to pay 9 Facebook credits which will let the player use thebooster three times before it has to be topped up again.

Extra Time

This booster gives the player 15 extra seconds either in the beginningof a level or when time is up on a level. If buying it when time is upit costs 9 Facebook credits which is approximately £0.53.

Striped Wrapped

This booster lets the player start a level with one Striped- and oneWrapped candy on the game board. To use it the player can top up thebooster for 19 Facebook credits which will then let the player use thebooster 3 times.

Lucky Candy

The Lucky Candy booster adds Lucky candies on the game board which willturn into useful candy when removed. The Lucky candy booster costs 29Facebook credits (£1.92) to top up and will then let the player use itthree times before it needs to be topped up again.

5 Extra Moves

This booster is available to buy at any point when playing a level. Ithas a booster icon that can be pressed but there is also a remindermessage that appears when starting to run out of moves. In someimplementations, the booster becomes available when the player has fivemoves left. The booster may also appear when already being out of moves,giving the player the option to continue the level. If using the boosterit instantly gives the player five extra moves which can help the playerto complete the level. To use the booster the player needs to pay 9Facebook credits.

Lollipop Hammer

The Lollipop hammer lets the player remove any candy from the gameboard. The booster can be used at any time when playing a level. Theplayer simply clicks the booster icon which, in one implementation, willturn the cursor into a big lollipop, see FIG. 32. The player then clickson the candy they wish to remove and the cursor/lollipop will break andremove that candy.

Free Switch

This booster lets the player switch two candies on the game board evenif no match will be made. If clicking the booster icon then in oneimplementation, the cursor turns into a hand or a glove (see FIG. 33).To use the glove the player switch two candies like normal. To use thebooster the player must have topped it up using Facebook credits.Topping it up lets the player use the booster three times.

Shuffle

The Shuffle booster shuffles all the candies on the game board.

Bomb Cooler

The Bomb cooler helps the user with bombs that are counting down. Thebooster adds 5 more to the timer of the bomb and rescues the player fromfailing a level. If the bomb does reach zero then there is an option toadd 5 more on the bombs' timer in order to continue playing. If choosingto use the Bomb cooler when all bombs have reached zero, it will cost 19Facebook credits (£1.26 GBP) to use it even if the player has uses leftfrom the last top up.

Sweet Teeth

The Sweet Teeth booster destroys different kinds of blockers. To gainaccess to it the player has to pay 99 Facebook credits (£6.56 GBP) andwill then be able to use it three times before having to top up again.When the booster is being used, it flies over the game board and removesblockers by eating them up. The Sweet Teeth is “very fond of chocolate,liquorice and marmalade.”

FIG. 34 illustrates when the Sweet Teeth booster has been activated andvarious game blocks are being removed.

Bubble-Gum Troll

The Bubble-gum Troll booster helps the player out on levels that containChocolate fountains. When clicking on the booster's icon a Bubble-gumtroll appears (see FIG. 35) which then shoots bubble-gum on top of thefountains (see FIG. 36). This prevents the Chocolate fountains fromspreading chocolate blocks. The bubble-gum stays on the fountains duringfour switches (see FIG. 36). On the fifth switch the bubble-gumdisappears. On the 6th switch a new chocolate block appears. To gainaccess to the Bubble-gum troll booster, the player needs to top up thebooster by paying 39 Facebook credits (£2.59 GBP) which then lets theplayer use the booster three times before having to top up again.

Creating Your Own Boosters

All boosters are created through a crafting model, that let's the playerchoose what to create based on items he has collected. Items arecollected by playing, gifting or buying them for credits. A booster isonly available to craft once you have unlocked it, which will be basedon progress.

Special candies that can be crafted are:

-   -   Coconut Liquorice: Match with anything for a swirl effect where        it rolls in the direction of your switch, turning candy in its        path into striped candy with a direction perpendicular to the        path of the Coconut Liquorice. The striped candy will then        automatically trigger one by one    -   Swedish fish: Swims away and lights 5 random unlit squares in        Light up mode.    -   Chocolate bunny: Hops away to balance your colours in a time of        need.    -   Marshmallow: Switch with a Fudge space and it will suck up all        fudge in a 3×3 area around it    -   Hammer: Controlled space clear

Special candy that can be crafted for a balance mode where not too manyof a certain candy may be collected without another certain candy beingcollected in between:

-   -   Slower balance movement or Freeze balance    -   Bottom bounce save    -   Something that eats up some objects of the end that reaches        bottom to balance it again    -   A colour changer to increase the amount of the needed colour

Special candy that can be crafted for order levels:

-   -   Shuffle with positive outcome, behaves like a slot machine to        put key power-ups next to each other    -   Free movement: Teleport next to the other piece of the combo    -   Random throw in or add one valuable special candy, no direct        control of spot.

Charm Overview

Below is an overview of different charms (referred to as Investmentgoods):

Game Investment goods: Candy Jars Category mode Unlimited Sweeteners(one free per game) Candy Jars Any Unlimited Gummi hammers (one free perCandy Jars Any game) Unlimited Shuffles (one free per game) Candy JarsAny Unlimited Marshmallows (one free per Candy Jars Any game) Unlimitedextra colour bomb (one free per Candy Jars Any game) Unlimited Sugardusting (one free per game) Candy Jars Any Always Swedish fish on CandyJars Light up Always Coconut liquorice on Candy Jars Drop Down AlwaysJelly Frog on Candy Jars Balance Always M&M on Candy Jars Score AlwaysMagic chocolate on Candy Jars Order

Booster Overview

Below is an overview of different boosters:

Game Candy Crush boosters Category mode Impact Boosters: pre gameactivation 15 seconds extra time Game impact Classic score 5 extra movesGame impact Move based Slower balance shift Game impact Balance Bottombalance 1 save Game impact Balance Mix in rainbow candy as 3% of all,match all Game impact All Remove 1 colour (very powerful) Game impactAll Start with colour bomb on field Game impact All Helper: showsspecial combos Game impact All Activation Boosters Sweetener: Turn aTurkish pepper bomb into a harmless Activation Any candy Gummi hammer:clear a space Activation Any Shuffle: Puts special candy next to eachother Activation Any Marshmallow: suck up fudge sauce 3 × 3 ActivationAny Add colour bomb, select where Activation Any Sugar dusting: clear aspace of 3 × 3, allows to unlock and Activation Any thaw faster SpecialBoosters: one per game mode Swedish fish: activate spaces Special Lightup Candy Coconut Liquorice: rolling trigger, controlled directionSpecial Drop Candy Down Jelly Frog: collects enough of its colour torebalance Special Balance Candy M&M multiplier: doubles scores for 10seconds when Special Score activated Candy Magic chocolate: Mix with anyspecial to create what you Special Order need Candy

Shop

Candy Crush Saga™ offers an in-app shop and in-app purchases in additionto booster purchases.

Lives

If the player has run out of lives, instead of waiting 30 minutes togain a new one, lives can be purchased. Paying 12 Facebook credits willrefill the lives counter and give the player 5 or 8 lives depending onif the player has previously acquired the Charm of Life. To find whereto buy lives, the player can click on the white plus sign next to thecounter in the map view interface. If the player does not want to payfor new lives then messages can be sent to friends (see FIG. 37) wherethe player asks them to send a life. Sending a life to a friend does notcost anything but is free for both the player asking for lives and theperson sending a life.

Yeti Shop

In the ‘Yeti shop’ the player can either buy charms (see FIG. 38) orgifts (see FIG. 39). The charms are personal whereas the gifts are forFacebook friends.

The gifts that may be purchased are:

-   -   A bag containing 2 boosters: A Colour Bomb and a Jelly Fish        Cost: 19 Facebook credits    -   A bag containing 3 boosters: A Colour Bomb, a Free Switch and a        Coconut Wheel        Cost: 55 Facebook credits    -   A bag containing 4 boosters: A Colour bomb, a Bomb Cooler, a        Striped and Wrapped and some Sweet Teeth.        Cost: 99 Facebook credits

Tutorial & Introductions

When starting Candy Crush Saga for the first time, the player is giventutorials in order to facilitate learning the game. Tutorials are notexclusive to the first few levels of the game, certain game features aregiven an introduction at the time they are introduced, which can be farinto the overall game progress. Such game features can for instanceinclude new boosters and new game modes.

Level 1

When playing Candy Crush Saga for the first time, level oneautomatically starts. The player is presented with instructions of howto make the most basic of combinations—three of the same kind of candy,see FIG. 40. This is shown both vertically and horizontally. The gamespecifies which three candies are to be combined, and the player mustthen combine those. It is not possible to perform other moves than theones prompted by the game when playing the level for the first time. Theplayer is prompted to do three specific combinations first and thenthree of their own choice.

Level 2

Level two starts off with prompting the player to combine four candies,which results in a striped candy. The player is then further prompted tocombine the striped candy with two other candies, which results in thestriped candy triggering a line blast. It is not possible to performother moves than the ones prompted by the game. After performing thesetwo moves, the player is told to achieve a certain score within acertain amount of moves. When getting enough points to qualify for thefirst star of the level (at 1900 points), the concept of stars and scorelevels is described to the player.

After completing level 2, the player is taken to the map view wherelevel 3 becomes unlocked. Before being able to play level 3, the playeris briefly introduced to the Yeti Shop with a message saying that it canbe used to send gifts to friends.

Level 3

Level three starts off with prompting the player to combine five candiesin a T-shape or L-shape, which results in a wrapped candy. The player isthen further prompted to combine the wrapped candy with two othercandies, resulting in two consecutive blasts of three times threecandies. Once again, the player is unable to perform any other movesthan the ones prompted by the game. Once these two moves are performed,the player can freely choose how to perform moves.

Level 4

Level four starts off with prompting the player to combine a wrappedcandy and a striped candy that are already placed on the game board atthe start. After this single move, the player is allowed to performmoves freely.

Level 5

Level five starts off with prompting the player to combine five candiesin a single line, which results in a colour bomb. After this the playeris prompted to combine it with another candy, but the player must usethe combination prompted by the game. After this move has beenperformed, an instruction is displayed telling the player the differentpossible combinations of special candies. However, it does not specifywhich effects that are generated by these combinations.

Level 6

Level six is the first level introducing a new goal for the game. Thegoal is to remove all the jelly blocks. It is explained that candieshave to be matched in the areas containing jelly for it to be removed.The player is then prompted to make a specific move to remove threecandies and also three tiles of jelly. After this single forced move,the player is allowed to perform moves freely.

After completing level six, the player is taken to the map view and isinformed that a new booster has been unlocked—the Lollipop Hammer.

Level 7

When starting level seven for the first time, the player is shown how touse the recently unlocked Lollipop Hammer booster. It is described as ‘ahammer that can smash candy’.

After completing level seven, the player is taken to the map view and isinformed that a new booster has been unlocked—Five extra moves.

In-Game Game Board

The game board is part of the view that is presented to the player whileplaying levels in Candy Crush Saga. The term game board signifies thearea that contains candies and other elements such as ingredients, jellyand frosting, not the surrounding landscape such as the score meter andthe heart showing the amount of lives left.

FIG. 41 shows one implementation of a game board. There are audiocontrols used for the music and sound effects. The amount moves theplayer has left to complete the level is shown. The current score of theplayer, expressed in absolute points is presented so that the player mayfollow the gameplay. The star meter, showing an indication of how muchpoints the player has in relation to the pre-defined goals required forachieving a certain amount of stars. The game board is populated withregular candies in a regular cells and regular candies in cells filledwith jelly that has to be removed in order to complete the level. Thenumber of lives the player has left is shown. Both the current level ofthe game and a symbol indicating what the goal of the level is are shownin relation to the game board. The places where new candies enter ontothe board when existing ones are removed are shown. In someimplementations new candies are generated from the top and falldownwards, in other implementation the candies can be spawned from anyposition. Available boosters that can be used during the play of a levelare also shown.

FIG. 42 illustrates an alternative implementation where new candies falldown from the top of the game board and then change direction to theright before starting to fall upwards again. The arrows in FIG. 42indicate the direction of the falling candies.

FIG. 43 shows another alternative implementation of the flow of fallingcandies; the arrows indicating the direction of the candies.

Different Types of Game Boards

Typically the game board consists of a number of connected areas/cellsarranged in a grid that can be occupied by either candies or specialgame elements. However, there can be more complex layouts as well. Forinstance, the areas containing game elements do not have to beinterconnected. There may be multiple sections of interconnected areasthat are not connected to each other, see FIG. 6. This means thatcandies can only travel between these areas through falling or using‘teleporters’. Also, sometimes the only way to interact with these areaswill be through special game elements, for instance striped candieswhich trigger line blasts, which make for very challenging levels.

Star Meter

In the most basic version, this feature serves the purpose of lettingplayers know their performance while playing the game by showing whichlevel of score they have accomplished. The level of score is determinedby the amount of points gathered and compared against predefined levelsthat will earn the player one, two or three stars. Stars are arepresentation of how well a player is performing on a level. Achievingat least one star is required to pass a level. Achieving more than onestars indicates that a player is performing better than the minimumrequired and is a factor that helps drive engagement by making playersfeel more skilled. The amount of points required to achieve one, two orthree stars is pre-defined and typically does not change for any level.However, in some implementations it is possible to have a variable scorerequired for different amounts of stars, for instance one that iscorrelated with the average scores of all players playing the game.

In some implementations, there are indications of the performance ofother players displayed during the play of a level. This information isoften based on data from previously completed levels, but it can also berelated to levels that have been attempted and failed by other players.Performance information can for instance be derived from a socialnetwork connected to the game or from databases more directly related tothe game. In some implementations, players can see the score of otherplayers in real-time, thus increasing the competitive element of thegame. The other players whose performance will be displayed is sometimeschosen by the player, sometimes automatically derived from a socialnetwork of the player, and other times it can be based on otherelements, such as the performance of all players of the game.

In some implementations, the player can see indications of the previoushigh score achieved on a level while playing it, shown by 310 in FIG.81. It is also possible that no indication of the player's own previousscore is shown.

In some implementations, the indications of the performance of otherplayers are shown in relation to the score meter. It can be bothabsolute and relative indications. The indications can be in the form ofpictures associated with the players, as shown by 330 and 335 in FIG.81. When the player passes the score of another player or the previousbest score the player has achieved, a message can be shown to encouragethe player and denote the accomplishment. One example of such a messageis illustrated by 340 in FIG. 81.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to usingstored scores to show the performance of other players. In oneimplementation, players can see the scores of other players currentlyplaying the same level while they are playing it, making it so that theindications of other players' scores can be moving in real time duringthe play of a game.

The score comparisons presented to the player can be given inpercentages, points and when applicable other indicators, for instancetime played or number of attempts on a level.

The look of a level, as well as the overall look of the virtuallandscape, can change as the player performs better. For instance, afterachieving one star during the play of a level, the digits shown whenscoring points can turn into a different colour. The lookout of thevirtual landscape can be come warmer and more colourful as more starsare gained. The look of the game can change according to other variablesas well, such as the in-game view changing depending on how many movesare left in order to convey a sense of urgency.

In Candy Crush Saga, the Star Meter also has other important functions.One is that the score of friends from a social network is shown on themeter, if there is data available. This increases competition andincentivises players to replay levels in order to beat the score offriends.

Another function is that the amount of stars achieved on each level isshown next to the levels on the map view. This gives players an overviewof their overall performance in the game. Also, in order to complete alevel the player needs to reach the amount of points needed to achieveat least one star.

Sugar Crush End Game

Upon finishing a level, Candy Crush Saga displays “Sugar Crush”accompanied by audio saying the words. The first thing that happensafter this display is that all special candies trigger one afteranother, removing other game elements and gaining points. After allremaining special candies have been triggered, the player is awarded forremaining moves, if there are any. Being awarded for the remaining moveswhen finishing a level is important for making players feel successfuland skilled at the game, and is an important driver for increasingreplayability. There are two different end game bonuses that triggerdepending on the type of level.

Candy Fish

In some game modes, players are awarded for their remaining moves by anumber of candy fish spawning. The fish are proportional to the amountof remaining moves left. The fish come from outside the game board andrandomly seek out candies, which are removed upon impact. Playersreceive bonus score for when each fish hits a candy.

Striped Candy Transformation

In other game modes, players are awarded for their remaining moves by anumber of candies turning into striped candies and subsequentlytriggering. The number of candies transforming from regular into astriped version is proportional to the amount of moves left. Upon acandy transforming from a regular version into a striped one, the playeris awarded with bonus points.

Wrapped Candy Transformation

In levels where the player has a limited amount of time, there arecertain candies that are marked with a ‘+5’ symbol, meaning that theygive an additional 5 seconds if popped. If any of these candies remainwhen the time runs out, they transform into wrapped candies thatsubsequently trigger.

Overview of Sugar Crush-Effects

Below is a summary for the different types of Sugar Crush-effects forlevels with different goals:

-   -   Target score—there is no real sugar crush effect here, except        unactivated special candies being activated.    -   Jelly—for every move remaining, three candy fish come on the        screen and start eating the candies at random, giving you more        points.    -   Ingredients and Orders—both levels have the same effect. For        every move remaining, a candy at random will become a striped        candy, giving an extra 3000 points for every striped candy. Then        they all activate.    -   Timed—any +5 candies left on the screen will turn into the        exploding wrapped candy and activate itself.

Pre-Level

Before starting a level, players have to select which level to play fromthe map view. The exception to this is the very first time Candy CrushSaga is played, when level one starts immediately. When selecting alevel, the player is shown information about the level, such as theamount of points needed, the available boosters that can be used, thegoal of the level and also the highscores of friends who have previouslyplayed that level, see FIG. 44.

A difference between playing a level for the first time and playing apreviously completed level is that the previous best score of the playeris displayed, together with the amount of stars achieved, see FIG. 45.Also, the text that is telling the player what the target goal is, interms of points, is changed depending on how many stars the players hasachieved before. As can be seen in FIG. 44 and FIG. 45, the target goalin FIG. 44 is 40 000 points, which correlates to one star on the level.When the player replays the same level after already achieving twostars, as seen in FIG. 45, the target goal is displayed as 100 000points, which correlates to three stars. Having the game set up in thisway increases replayability by making players focus on always improving,but not necessarily too much at a time. If the first goal presented wasthe one correlating to three stars, players could feel inadequate ifthey get less points than that, even if the level was completed.

The player can choose boosters, that will in some way affect the gameplay, before starting a level. Boosters are unlocked and gained as theplayer progresses throughout the game, but it is also possible topurchase more boosters. As can be seen in FIG. 44 and FIG. 45, playerscan only select boosters that are applicable for the type of level to beplayed and boosters which they have at least one of. If they player doesnot have enough boosters, a top up can be purchased.

It is also possible to help friends by sending them lives. FIG. 44illustrated one implementation where this can be done by clicking on theicon with a heart and letter on it located next to friends' names in thehighscore list.

In some implementations, the pre-level screen shown on a mobile deviceis slightly different from the one shown on a computer. It has the samecore components, but the layout can differ. It does not have theinformation about the level goal in the standard view, but this can beshown by clicking on a symbol indicating what the goal is, see FIG. 46.

Post-Level Completing a Level

When completing a level, the player is presented with a screen thatshows the amount of points gained, the amount of stars achieved and theprevious highscores of friends. This is shown in FIG. 47 where theplayer has earned three stars and is therefore placed on 4th place inthe highscore list.

FIG. 48 shows an alternative post level screen where the player ‘Johan’has just completed the level. The score which he earned on the levelplaces him on 22nd place in the high score list containing friendsplaying the game. The long high score list shown in the previous figurehas been adjusted to also show the current player and the place beforeand after him on the high score list.

After the post-level screen has been closed, the player may be presentedwith yet another screen related to the performance of the just completedlevel. FIG. 49 shows one implementation of this screen which displayshow well the player scored in relation to friends' highscores, togetherwith a message about which friend(s) that has been beaten.

Both the Post-level screen and the screen that shows when a friend hasbeen beaten present the player with an option to share this information.The sharing part is done on a social network to which the game isconnected. By sharing information such as which friends the player hasbeaten, competition is encouraged and the viralisation of the game isincreased, due to people not playing the game also being able to seesuch messages.

It is possible to help friends by sending lives from this screen aswell. As depicted in FIG. 49 this can be done with a click on the iconwith a heart and letter on it, next to the friends' names. The tickmarks indicate that the player has already sent lives to those friends.The player may only send lives to any one friend once within a certainperiod of time—for instance once per day.

FIG. 50 shows what happens when the player decides to share the scoregained on a level. A pre-defined message is shown, displaying whatinformation will be posted in regards to completing a level. The playeralso has the option to add a comment about the occurrence.

In some implementations, the mobile version of the game has a slightlydifferent post-level screen. When completing a level, the player isgiven the options of retrying the level or going to the next one. Ifchoosing to play the next level, it starts immediately without goingover to the map view. A version of the mobile post-level screen is shownin FIG. 51.

Failing to Complete a Level

When failing to complete a level, a screen similar to the one shown whencompleting a level is displayed. The difference is that the screen whenfailing a level has a broken heart on it, together with informationstating why the level was failed (see FIG. 52). Failing a level canhappen due to a number of reasons, such as not reaching the minimumscore for one star, failing to accomplish the goal or by a bombexploding. The player is informed of the reason for why he has failedthe level. Understanding why you have failed a level increases thelikelihood that he player will try to play the level again to reach thattarget for the level. If wanting to play the same level again there isan option to do so. In one implementation the option to replay thefailed level is presented with a large and visually significant button.

Level Progress and Ways of Playing the Game Ways to Play the Game

Games created using the techniques described herein can be playedlocally on a player's computer or handheld device. The game can also beplayed over the Internet where the whole game or portions are downloadedand executed on the local machine or run on a remote computer or server.The user's progress in the game and results can be stored locally andcompared to the user and other players on the local computer. Theprogress and results can in an alternative embodiment be synchronisedwith other players, either directly or through a server or socialnetwork or gaming platform.

Cross-Device and Cross-Game Functionalities

Three platforms in particular are changing the way people expect gamesto be played. These three platforms are growing at the same time, andprovide new input possibilities. To date, games have not absorbed allthe new input possibilities.

The first platform is Facebook. The skilled person will understand thatwhere Facebook is referred to in this document, other social networkplatforms may be used. A Facebook game may be a social game, a game youplay with your friends. It is rare or unthinkable to launch a game (i.e.to play for the first time) on Facebook that is a paid game, becausepeople playing games on Facebook expect not to pay to access a game. AFacebook game may be played on the internet, after logging in toFacebook (whether automatically or manually), such as from a personalcomputer.

The second platform is smartphones. Use of smartphones is not alwayscontinuous. You may use a smartphone for 5 minutes on a bus, and thenfor 20 minutes on a connecting train, for example. The use can have manystarts and stops. Not like someone working at an office desk or at ahome desk in a conventional way. A smartphone can be on an iOS platform,or on an Android platform, for example.

The third platform is tablets. What is a tablet? It can function as amobile device and as a non-mobile device. The tablet can be a substitutefor a personal computer. A user may want a seamless experience betweenusing the game on a personal computer and on a tablet and on anothermobile device. A tablet can be on an iOS platform, or on an Androidplatform, for example.

A game which works on a plurality of such as all three of the aboveplatforms (or more), may provide a connected fully-synchronized seamlessexperience. Hence multi-platform games are important. Key criteria formulti-platform games are: they are free, they are social, stop-start useis possible, and seamless experience is provided. Such games may be“played anywhere” e.g. in a mobile environment or in a non-mobileenvironment. Such games may also be played online or offline.

The game must be fun when used in a stop-start way, and when used foreven just short intervals. In an example, a game consists of parts orlevels, each of which runs for about 3 minutes, eg. between 1 and 5minutes. In an example, a game is structured in levels, so that ifsuccessful in a game level, such as by scoring a minimum score, a usercan progress from that level to the next level. In an example, a gamehas about 200 levels.

A game can be optimized post-launch. For example, if it is clear thattoo many users are failing to progress past a particular level, theminimum score to pass the level can be lowered. An optimized game may beprovided as an application update from an application store. In analternative, a game may be optimized by a server sending a revised datafile of scores required to pass each game level to a mobile device, whena game state of a user is being synchronized with the server, whereinthe application running on the device replaces the previous file ofscores stored on the device required to pass each level with the revisedfile of scores required to pass each level.

The progress of a player is also synchronised across devices, forinstance between a handheld device and a computer. This is described infurther detail in Appendix A. The player can play on one platform, havethe progress saved and then continue playing seamlessly on anotherplatform. It is also possible for the player to play on offline devicesand having the game synchronise when a connection is available.

In some implementations, players can be rewarded for playing the game onmultiple platforms. For instance, players active on a computer-basedplatform could get a bonus for also installing the game on a handhelddevice.

Players can also be rewarded for playing multiple games that arerelated, for instance games from the same developer. When choosing toplay a new game, the player can receive bonuses in another game. Thiscan be triggered by using a link from one game to the other, or by gamessharing information between one another so that it automatically detectsa player that is playing more than one game and subsequently rewardsthem.

It is also possible that games can have elements in common that enablescertain objects, for instance boosters, to be usable in multiple games.These games can be located on the same or on different servers. In someimplementations, a booster bought in Candy Crush Saga can be used inanother game that shares certain features with it.

One example of an implementation with synchronisation across platformsis as follows: A first server, for instance one hosting a socialnetwork, with a first data store storing data relating to the state of agame. The first server is configured to communicate with a firstplurality of devices, such as mobile phones or personal computers,through a first application programming interface, where the firstplurality of devices is related to a first computing platform.

A second server, for instance one hosting a game platform, with a seconddata store storing data relating to the state of the game. The secondserver is configured to communicate with a second plurality of devices,such as mobile phones or personal computers, through a secondapplication programming interface, where the second plurality of devicesis related to a second computing platform.

A third server with a third data store, configured to communicate withthe first and the second server. The three servers are configured tosynchronise the three data stores in such a way that when synchronized,the first, second and third data store all relate to a synchronised gamestate.

Localisation and Updates

It is possible for implementations of the game to vary depending on thelocation of the player. For instance, the language can be adapted andtranslated into different languages. It can also be so that updates ofthe game are incorporated at different times in different locations, inorder to avoid interference with the times of the day that players areas most active.

If trying to access the game online, as opposed to starting a localversion that is saved on the device, while updates are being made, theplayer can be met by a message saying that the game cannot be accessedright at that moment, see FIG. 53.

The screen in FIG. 53 could be displayed instead of the game as aplaceholder for when the game is taken offline, for instance so that thegame can be updated with new features and software.

Progress Over Several Levels

The game can be implemented so that a player progresses through multiplelevels of changing and typically increasing difficulty. FIG. 54 shows animplementation of the game with a virtual map layout of a gameenvironment, displayed on the computing device used by the game player.As the player travels through the levels in the game, his progress isrepresented as a journey along a path in the virtual map. Representingprogress in this manner provides an additional layer of engagement forplayers, and also opportunities for viralisation and monetisation.

The virtual map consists of stages 1, 2 with varying number of levels 3,4. The user travels between levels and completes the levels one by onealong a path by playing the associated game. When the player reaches thegoal of a level, the next level is unlocked and the player can play thatlevel in the game. The number of stages and levels can vary depending onthe implementation. The levels can be numbered consecutively throughoutthe game or they can be numbered within a stage, it is also understoodthat other ways of identifying the stages and levels can be implemented.New stages to the virtual map 12 can be added by the game designers atany time—so a game may be launched with say 20 levels, and after anumber of weeks, there may be fifty or sixty levels present.

One way of unlocking new stages is to complete the last level on thelatest stage. The user is sometimes faced with challenges 7 to unlockthe next stage in the virtual map.

In one implementation, traveling from one stage to another once all thelevels have been completed on that stage requires the help of forinstance three friends. The player can ask friends for help by sendingan in-game message within the game environment or for instance through asocial network that the game is connected to. The friends can already beplaying the game and do not have to be ‘new’ players, but they can befriends not already on the same social network.

The player can also pay to get instant access to the locked stage. Theplayer can use a combination of help from friend and payment to unlockthe new stage. The cost for unlocking can in some implementations belowered as a fraction of the total number of friends needed when helpfrom some but not all needed friends have been received.

The request for help is sent to the friend who then has the option toaccept to help. The request for help can in some implementations be sentusing the social network to which the game is connected; an alternativeimplementation is to send the request to someone external to the game(via email, text message, instant message for instance) who has to jointhe game to respond to the help request. This is one of the viralisationtechniques implemented in this game.

In addition to the virtual map layout in FIG. 54, there can also beother levels or stages that are not part of the progress along the pathin the virtual map. Such stages or levels can be present in the gameassociated with the virtual map at all times or can be unlocked when theuser reaches a certain in-game achievement. This in-game achievement canfor instance be completing a specific level, reaching a predeterminedhigh score (for instance, collecting a specific number of stars whencompleting a level—highly skilled gameplay can win the user three stars)or paying virtual currency to unlock the stage or level.

The map layout in FIG. 54 can be used in games connected to or linkedwith a social network. It is common that the users on such networks haveavatars with for instance a photo of the user and/or the user's name.Such avatars can for instance also be a sign or a figure. The user'savatar is displayed on the map layout alongside the level where the useris 6. It is understood that there are different implementations ofshowing where the user currently is on the map. This can for instance bethe latest level the user completed, the level with the highest score orthe last completed level along the traversed path.

The user can in some embodiments be given the option to select whichusers should be shown on the virtual map. The users to choose from canbe friends on a social network, or the user can get suggestions to showfriends which meet a certain criteria, for instance friends which theplayer has interacted with the most in the past or friends living in thesame geographic area as the player. The user can get the option tochoose from other people not being friends on the social network, butthat meet other certain criteria.

The user can play any of the unlocked levels on the map, so the user cango back and replay already completed levels to get a better score orbeat friends' high scores.

The player is in some implementations of the game rewarded for goodgameplay of a level, for instance reaching a target score. In someimplementations the user has to reach a certain number of points tocomplete a level, reaching this target score can be represented with asymbol such as a star. In one implementation a star is lit when the userreaches a certain number of points in a level. The user can earn morethan one star on each level and the levels are re-playable to get ahigher score.

The player's total number of stars collected in the game can in someembodiments unlock features. The unlocked features can for instance bepower-ups, in-game currency or bonus levels.

The symbol representing how well the user has played on each level canbe displayed alongside the level on the map 8, 9, 10.

If the game is connected to a social network or the user has connectedwith other players in the game, the levels will present a leaderboardshowing who among the user's connections has the highest score. Therecan in some embodiments be a notification 11 shown on the map if theuser that has the highest score among the friends connected to the game.

The type of game mode or game goals for a level can be displayed on themap as a symbol.

Animations and Interactions on the Virtual Map

The landscape of the virtual map will typically have animated sequenceswhich give a feeling of the map being alive and dynamic. For example,trees on the map can sway in the wind, animals can move around and theplayer progressing from one level to another can be accompanied by ananimation of a player-associated character moving on the map.

In some implementations, it is possible for the player to interact withobjects on the map in such a way that animations are triggered. Forinstance, clicking on a bird can make it fly into the air and hoveringover water can make waves appear.

It is also possible to have any combination of a map that is static butreacts to player input, a static map that does not react to playerinput, a dynamic map that reacts to player input and a dynamic map thatdoes not react to player input.

One example of how the virtual map can be dynamic and moving is shown inFIG. 82 where as an example, a coconut character moves slightly fromside to side. A collection of subtle as well as less subtle animationsthroughout the map will together make the map appear moving and alive.

Head to Head Tournaments

The game can also be implemented to be played with a limited time orlimited number of moves or both over a consecutive set of levels. Thescore can be collected over the several levels to give the player ascore for all the levels completed.

The player can in some implementations play the game in head to headtournaments against one or several other players. The player with thehighest collective score over the number of levels will be the winner inthe tournament. In some implementations the tournaments are played withreal time comparisons of players' scores, in other implementations thescores of players are compared after finishing a level.

The game can also be played in tournaments with jackpots where theplayer plays the same level where the same types of game elements areused.

The game can also be played in an elimination competition against otherplayers.

Rewards and Bonuses

The game can have schemes for giving rewards and bonuses to players. Onereason for giving out rewards is to increase player engagement, and tosome extent to help with monetisation. Players can for instance berewarded for playing multiple days in a row, something that awardspersistence and dedication. In other implementations, there is a dailybonus available that is gained by every player playing the game onlineduring that day., or to players passing a certain secret location duringthat day. By giving players samples of existing boosters, they are givena free preview of purchasable items that potentially can lead to salesin the long run, which helps monetise the game.

Virtual Landscape

The virtual landscape of Candy Crush Saga is presented to the player inbetween levels. This is also referred to as the ‘map view’ and the‘virtual map’ within this document. The player travels along a virtualpath as more levels are completed in the game, which gives the feel ofmoving forward.

Total Looks

The looks of the map view is in the style of a physical foldable gameboard (see FIG. 55), such as one commonly used for board games. However,since Candy Crush Saga is not a physical board game but a virtual one,the board is much larger than what can be displayed in a single screen.The player can at any time, while in the map view, look at all availablelevels and also scroll through the entirety of the game board. Havingsuch a style gives a strong feeling of actually progressing forward inthe game as more levels become unlocked.

Navigation

When navigating on a map in a game, it is sometimes difficult to finddesired spot or area of the map if the map is, for example, too large.One way to solve this problem is to have mini map in an expandable tab,connected to the edge of the screen, where the player can fast jump todesired location. In this document we refer to the expandable tab andthe mini map as the navigator.

Navigator Hidden

If the player does not need to use the navigator then it is unnecessaryfor it to take up precious screen space. Therefore, in oneimplementation the navigator is only in full view when the player needsit; the rest of the time it is hidden with only a small part of itshowing, see FIG. 56. Clicking on this small part will expand thenavigator (see FIG. 57) and let the player use it. Clicking on the samepart again will once more hide the navigator. In one implementation,when the navigator is hidden, a small tab is placed at the bottom rightedge of the screen which will in turn expand the navigator when clickedon, see FIG. 58.

Navigate within an Area

When the navigator is expanded, the player is provided with a mini mapshowing an area of the map. The player can press anywhere on the minimap and when doing so the main view will jump to the same location. Theplayer may also press and drag the mouse up or down over the mini mapwhich will then simultaneously scroll the map in the main view.

FIG. 59 illustrates one implementation of the navigator where there isno more area of the map further down but there is more to view furtherup (in this implementation that is indicated by a cloud). Pressingsomewhere else on the mini map will jump to the same place in the mainview.

FIG. 60 illustrates how the main view has changed as the player hasclicked or scrolled to a new place on the map.

Navigate Between Areas

A map may sometimes be too large to fit on a mini map, at least if theplayer is to make any sense of what it is displaying. One way to solvethis problem is to divide the map into areas and on the mini map onlyshow one area at a time.

In one implementation there are clouds on the bottom and/or on the topof the mini map to indicate that there is more to be seen. Pressing oneof the arrows, which are placed on the clouds, will take the player toeither the next or previous area of the map. The arrow can be pressedboth on the mini map and in the main view, see FIG. 61 and FIG. 62. Ifchanging area on the mini map, the main view will also jump to the nextarea. If the player reaches the end of the map, unused areas of the minimap will be clearly marked and therefore indicate to the player that themap is ending. The player can not scroll past this point, see FIG. 63.

Jump to Specific Levels

Even when being able to scroll and click to desired locations on themini map, it may still be difficult to find a specific spot on the map.There are several implementations to make it easier for the player onthis point.

In one implementation, if the player for example wants to jump to thefurthest reached location on the map, then there is a home button whichwill take the player there directly. Pressing the home button will notonly take the player to the current location but will also hide thenavigator, giving the player a full view. With the home button, theplayer can always find their active location in the blink of an eye.

FIG. 57 displays one implementation where the home button is placed inthe bottom right of the navigator with a house symbol on it. Pressingthe button will take the player to the furthest reached location.

In an alternative implementation, the map will also be zoomed in whenthe player presses the home button and jumps to the furthest reachedlocation; this is illustrated in FIG. 64.

Another implementation may be to offer the player filtering and multiplechoices of where to jump on the map. There could for example be an iconwhich when pressed lets the player choose exactly which level to jumpto. There could also be an alternative to receive a list of levels theplayer can jump to which satisfy certain criteria, for example alllevels with limited moves and ingredients in them. The filter couldoffer many kinds of choices. FIG. 65 shows an alternative implementationof the navigator offering multiple choices and filters.

Zooming in and Out on the Map

The player may not only navigate to different locations on the map butcan also be presented with the possibility to zoom in and out. Ifplaying a game on a touch screen device, pinching ones fingers on thescreen would make the map zoom out, see FIG. 66. Zooming in on the mapwould require the fingers to spread out from each other, the opposite ofdoing a pinch gesture, see FIG. 67.

Having a zoom in/out function can help the player get an overview of amap while at the same time being able to see details and other variousinteresting parts of it which are connected to a specific area orposition. Furthermore, zoom in functions on a touch screen device can behelpful if there are interactive parts that may feel to small to pressproperly. Zooming in makes it easier to target and interact with desiredobject.

Theme Overall Theme

The overall theme of Candy Crush Saga lends a special atmosphere to thegame. Everything is candy-themed with bright and warm colours used inall animations and pictures. The words used for encouragement throughoutthe game, such as ‘sweet’ and ‘delicious’, serve as an example of thecandy-theme.

Individual Areas and Level Progression

As the player progresses in the game, new areas/episodes are unlocked.Each episode has a related story and often a mini-theme that is presentin at least some levels in the area. Also, the same background pictureis used in all levels in the same area. When reaching a new are thebackground image will change. Each episode also has a specific colourwhich is used in the virtual landscape-view to show the differentepisodes.

The episodes all have different names, each with a candy-theme to it forexample Candy Town, Candy Factory, Lemonade Lake, Chocolate Mountains,Lollipop Forrest and so on.

Within each episode there is a set of levels. The division of levelsbetween the episodes is not entirely linear. The first two episodesconsist of ten levels each, while episodes three and onward eachconsists of 15 levels each. This makes it easier for the player toadvance in the beginning, something that can be important for playerretention and engagement.

Path

In the virtual landscape, the player follows a virtual path as the gameprogresses. After completing a level, the next one becomes unlocked andthe player ‘travels’ there on the virtual map. There is an indicatorshowing which level the player is currently on; in one implementationthe indicator is in the form of an orange arrow bouncing up and down.

The virtual landscape is divided into areas, each area representing adifferent episode of the game. The episodes are also coloureddifferently, with one colour being used consistently throughout oneepisode/area. The end of an episode is marked by a special kind ofobstacle that can only be passed with the help of three friends, orthrough a purchase. In FIG. 4 this obstacle is depicted with threequestion marks inside a rectangle with inverted corners. When passingthese kinds of obstacles, there is a celebratory animation accompanyingthe passage to signal that the player has progressed into a new episodeof the game.

Unreached Areas

In the virtual landscape (see FIG. 4), levels that have not yet beenreached by the player are shown in a different way than levels alreadyaccessible. There is also a difference between unreached levels in anunlocked area and unreached levels in areas not yet unlocked. As can beseen in, areas that have not yet been reached are greyed out. Thisfurthers the experience of giving players a sense of accomplishment whenreaching a new area, since it is reflected by the virtual landscapeactually changing slightly.

Collaboration Blocks

As already mentioned, there are special obstacles that hinder the playerfrom reaching new areas in the game. These obstacles are ‘collaborationblocks’, which means that the player needs to receive help from friendsin order to pass. One such implementation can be seen in FIG. 86. Helpfrom friends can be requested through a social network, and the new areawill not be unlocked until three friends accept to help. This is a wayto increase viralisation as well as player engagement. By helping eachother players get a sense of collaboration, as well as it being acompetitive element to remind the player how far friends have come.

It is possible to circumvent the need of having friends to help passinto the next area by instead paying for it. The amount that has to bepaid can be reduced by having some friends help, even if the requiredamount of help for passing without paying is not reached. For example,if one friends help the player has to pay more than if no friends help,if two friends help a lesser amount has to be paid than if one friendshelp, and if three friends help the player does not need to pay at all.

When reaching a collaboration block, which is at the end of each episodein the game except for the first two, the player is prompted to selectwhich friends to send requests to. The friends need to have Candy CrushSaga installed in order to be able to provide help, but it is possibleto send requests to friends who do not yet

To travel from one stage to another once all the levels have beencompleted on that stage requires the help of three friends. Thesefriends can already be playing the game and do not have to be ‘new’players. However, instant access can also be bought using a virtualcurrency. Friends can be asked for help either by clicking the ‘Askfriends for help’ button, or by the ‘+’ sign to the right of thebuttons. Once the stage has been unlocked with the help of the threefriends, all the levels within that stage are unlocked too.

The user can choose to request help from only selected friends or tosend a request to multiple friends. There can be a limit to how manyfriends the player can send the request to and also a limit in timebefore the user can send a reminder or similar request.

The request for help is sent to the friend who then has the option toaccept to help or to decline to help. The request can in oneimplementation be sent using the social network to which the game isconnected; an alternative implementation is to send the request tosomeone external to the game (via email, text message, instant messagefor instance) who has to join the game to respond to the help request.This is one of the viralisation techniques implemented in this game.

FIG. 86 shows an implementation where three friends who the player hasrequested help from have enabled the played to unlock a new stage. Eachof the friend's avatars appear on the screen, with their namesunderneath the avatar and a tick next to the picture to show that theyhave accepted the player's request for help. This allows the player tostart playing the newly unlocked levels in the new stage.

Mystery Quests

The inventions may be implemented with ways of getting past acollaboration block other than asking friends for help and paying forit, which are the most common ways of passing a collaboration block.This can be done through to use of ‘Mystery Quests’, which gives theplayer the option of completing one or several challenges to unlock theblock. Such challenge can for instance be to play one or several pastlevels with modified goals in order to pass the collaboration block, forinstance three levels—one for each of the locks.

These challenges are typically in the form of replaying a previouslycompleted level but with a new goal to reach, for instance a target highscore. In a typical implementation, the score requirement is higher thanit is for playing the level regularly, and also no other goals need tobe fulfilled. For example, if the player gets to replay a level withjelly with a new target high score, the player would not need to removethe amount of jellies specified as long as the target score was reached.

In a typical implementation this option to pass a collaboration block inthe game is available in three cases; if the player is not connected tothe Internet, if the player has not connected the game to a socialnetwork, or if the player is not connected to either a social network orto the Internet. If the player is not connected to either a socialnetwork or the Internet then the other options available for passing theblock, such as sending requests to friends, cannot be used. However, itis possible to have this option available to users connected to both asocial network and to the Internet as well. FIG. 87 shows the threeoptions typically available for passing a collaboration block.

It is possible to combine the ways of passing a collaboration block. Forinstance, completing one Mystery Quest could make it so that the playeronly has to request help from two friends once a connection to a socialnetwork has been established, or that the player does not need to pay asmuch for purchasing a way through the collaboration block.

In some implementations, Mystery Quests are not tied to specificcollaboration blocks. For example, if the player reaches a collaborationblock and completes a Mystery Quest, then connects to a social networkand receives help from three friends, the player will only have tocomplete two Mystery Quests the next time that option is chosen to passa collaboration block. If the player then only completes one moremission, and then goes on to receive help from friends or purchase a waythrough, the third time a Mystery Quest is chosen as a way to pass acollaboration block, the player only needs to complete one level.

If the player chooses to play the mystery quest to pass thecollaboration block, the player will be taken to a screen showing threesymbols representing challenges to be completed, as well asspecifications regarding which level is to be played and what score isrequired to pass the first challenge. This can be seen in FIG. 88. In atypical implementation, the game randomly chooses a previously completedlevel and increases the score required to pass it. In otherimplementations, the Mystery Quest levels can be new levels that theplayer has not completed before.

If the player chooses to continue with the quest, another screen ispresented, allowing the player to choose boosters. This screen is verysimilar to a regular pre-level screen, with the difference that insteadof the level number it says ‘Mystery Quest’, instead of three stars itshows a special padlock indicating that it is a Mystery Quest, and aspecial symbol in front of the target score to further indicate that itis a Mystery Quest and not a regular level. One implementation of thepre-level screen for a Mystery Quest can be seen in FIG. 89.

If the player chooses to play the Mystery Quest level, the game proceedsto the game board screen and the player can start playing. If the playerfails to achieve the target score, a pop-up shows why the player failed.In some implementations using levels previously completed as MysteryQuests, the regular goals for completing the level are listed as areason for failure as well as failing the target score, as can be seenin FIG. 90. However, even though this is shown as a reason for failingthe level, the player will in a typical implementation complete theMystery Quest as long as the target score is achieved, even if the othergoals of the level are not. In other implementations, the player can berequired to achieve both the target score and other goals for theMystery Quest to be completed.

However, if the player manages to achieve the target score on a MysteryQuest, the level will be completed. Completing a Mystery Quest levelwill take the player to a post-level screen similar to a regularpost-level screen but with the same differences as the pre-level screen.One example of such a post-level screen is shown in FIG. 91. After thisthere will typically be an animation to signal that the player hascompleted the level, such as the padlock going from being locked tobeing unlocked. There can be other ways to show a post-level screenafter the animation of unlocking the padlock has been shown.

After completing a Mystery Quest and pressing ‘Done’ on the post-levelscreen, the player is typically taken back to the main Mystery Questscreen. This screen will then show the player the overall progress withthe Mystery Quest, which in a typical implementation consists of threelevels. In FIG. 92 it can be seen that the player has completed thefirst quest, and that the next one will become available after a certainperiod of time, 23 hours 59 minutes and 46 seconds in the figure.

In some implementations, the player needs to wait 24 hours betweencompleting each of the three levels of the Mystery Quest. In otherimplementations, the wait time could be less or none at all. It is alsopossible to use other criteria for accessing the next Mystery Quest,such as getting more stars on previously completed levels.

Typically the player will use a life for each failed attempt of clearinga Mystery Quest level, just as is the case with regular level. It isalso possible that the Mystery Quest levels do not affect the player'slife total, or that it uses up another kind of resource as such asboosters.

It is possible for Mystery Quests to be used for other reasons than topass a collaboration block. For instance, there can be bonus levelswithin the game that can only be accessed through completing MysteryQuests. In some implementations, Mystery Quests can be a way for playersto earn boosters in the game without having to purchase them. It is alsopossible that Mystery Quests are only available at certain times, suchas between 9 PM and 10 PM each day or on specific days.

Alternative Ways to Connect with Other Players for Help or OtherRequests

For players who are not connected to friends through a social network,or players who are connected but only have very small social networks,an alternative way is to connect them to other players (if they want)and find proxies for the social experiences that existing networksprovide.

It is important to allow players who otherwise would be stuck at acollaboration block or other social interaction tools to also be able toprogress in the game. This is important to minimize the churn and toallow the game to be a fun experience for a larger portion of theplayers.

One such implementation is to drive installs of the game using newchannels—SMS, EMail, Twitter etc. This will boost DAU, create engagementby creating social connections and communication channels with thoseconnections. It may also increase revenue by keeping players in thegame.

Overall Structure

This alternative approach may be used for interaction for instance whena player reaches a collaboration block or runs out of lives. The gameprompts player to “ask for help” from other players based on some userderived player characteristics such as location, player game experience.The player gets a prompt to get help with a generated but editable aliasand they “send” the message. If the player's Push Notification (PN)settings are set to off include the requirement to turn PN on. Theclient registers the player request user ID with the server. Servergenerates a response granting the user request, on a random basis, from5 to 55 minutes from request. And sends a PN to player. After the playerhas completed a single loop—request-PN-request grant. They becomecapable of receiving help requests when they launch the game.

Feature Description

When a standalone player (a player with no or only a few ‘friends’connected to the game or to a social network) reaches a blocker in thegame, this alternative approach gives them a way to extend their gameplay by asking for help. Players will be able to select where they askfor help from, through SMS, Email, Twitter etc.

Upon Completion of the loop, they will receive the requested helpallowing them to continue in the game.

This approach can be used for collaboration blocks, that the player canrequest lives, request other help in the game. It can also beimplemented so that the player can send invitations to the game and ifthe recipient will join the game then the inviting player may get areward.

Exemplary flows and steps in the implementation can be seen in FIG. 93,FIG. 94, FIG. 95, FIG. 96, FIG. 97 and FIG. 98.

The player that receives the request for help can click on the link onfor instance his mobile device or computer.

The recipient will be taken to the link destination where the clientdevice is detected and it is identified whether the player has alreadyinstalled the game on the device. An exemplary overview is seen in FIG.99. This can for instance be done using a so called URI scheme asdescribed below. If the recipient does not have the game alreadyinstalled he is taken to the appropriate webpage or application store todownload or activate the game. This can for instance be the Apple orandroid app stores or to the Facebook app page. There are differentoptions available to implement this functionality and the identificationof the device can be done on the specific device or on the server. Theplayer that has sent a help request will be notified when he hasreceived the requested help. The help request experience can be seen inFIG. 100.

Further Explanation

When a player has run out of lives or is stuck at a collaboration blockhe or she can send a request for help via SMS. The SMS consists of ashort message describing what help is wanted and a link. The message andlink can be sent to one or more receivers. The link contains info on whosent the request, what the request was for and a timestamp. When thereceiver clicks the link the required help is sent. Link usage is kepttrack of in the database so a link cannot be reused by the same user. Ifthe player does not get help within a certain time span he or she getshelp from themselves (looks like someone helped them). This is only toreward the behavior of asking for things and its use is limited.

The link payload consists of:

-   -   5 bytes user ID    -   1 byte transport medium and request type    -   2 bytes arguments (timestamp for life requests, episode and        level index for collaboration blocks)

The data is then encoded in Base64, /is replaced by _ and = is replacedby empty string. The link is a normal http link. Nothing is storedserver side until the receiver clicks the link.

Push notifications are used to close the loop and are also limited per24 h period. In some implementations they are not needed for the help toget sent.

7.1 Notifications

Players can choose to be notified of certain events in a game. Thenotifications may be both ‘pushed’ as well as only available once aplayer logs into the game. Notifications can be sent on both stationarycomputers and mobile devices, depending on the players platform ofchoice. It is also possible to have notifications that stretch acrossmultiple platforms, for instance they can pop up on both Facebook and ona mobile device at the same time.

‘Push technology’ and subsequently ‘push notifications’ describescommunications in which transaction requests are initiated by apublisher or central server, as opposed to ‘pull technology’ in whichthe receiver or client initiates a transaction requests. Typically theplayer can configure in which way push notifications should be receivedfrom a range of available options, such as:

Banners—Notifications are shown at the top of the screen andautomatically disappear after a set period of time, typically a fewseconds, unless the player interacts with them. A typical implementationof a banner notification can be seen in FIG. 101. Banner notificationscan state information regarding the notification, or it can simply statewhich game the notification is coming from. It is in a typicalimplementation possible to interact with banner notifications, forinstance by clicking on them. Typically clicking on a bannernotification will bring the player into the game.Alerts—Notifications require interaction from a player beforedisappearing, typically they appear in the middle of the screen. Atypical implementation of an alert notification can be seen in FIG. 105.No notifications—The player can also choose to turn of notificationsaltogether.

In a typical implementation the player can choose which events to benotified about. FIG. 102 shows the settings where a player can choose tobe notified about certain events. In some implementations, the playercan be choose to be notified when a new Mystery Quest is available, orwhen the player has full lives. In other implementations, the player canchoose to be notified regarding a variety of different events, such asthe following:

-   -   When a friend passes them in the level progression.    -   When their score is beaten on a specific level or on any level.    -   When new levels have been added to the game.    -   When help has been received.    -   When help has been requested.    -   When a new friend, either from a social network or from a game        platform, starts playing the game.    -   When they have not played for a certain period of time.    -   When the game has been updated.    -   When new games from the same developer have been added to the        application store.    -   When there are special offers in the in-game shop.

FIG. 103 shows one implementation in which the notification settings areturned off and FIG. 104 shows a similar implementation wherenotifications are turned on.

In a typical implementation, the player can choose to interact withnotifications in various ways, some of these are shown in FIG. 105, forexample:

-   -   Silence the notification temporarily but keep it available.    -   Dismiss the notification entirely so that it is removed and        cannot be seen again.    -   Go directly to the game and start playing. This can in some        implementations be done by automatically starting a specific        level, for instance in the case a friend has beaten the player's        score on a level or if the player has been passed.    -   Directly respond to the notification, for instance if a friend        has requested help, the player can respond directly by one click        that allows them to send help without actually going through the        game interface.

In some implementations where notifications are pushed, the player willonly get the first notifications pushed, subsequent ones will not beseen until the player chooses to acknowledge the first one. This isbecause players should not feel irritated or overwhelmed bynotifications.

Notifications can also be implemented so that they synchronise acrossplatforms. For instance, if a player has been notified about anoccurrence it can be sent to both a mobile device and the Facebookplatform, but after acknowledging the notification on one platform italso disappears from other platforms. Notifications can be sent invarious ways, for instance:

-   -   Email message    -   Message sent through a social network to which the game is        connected    -   Through a message sent on the game platform    -   Through a text message, for instance sent to a mobile device    -   Phone call

Level Nodes

In the virtual landscape, levels are not simply represented by numberssignifying which level it is. There are also symbols that correlate toeach game mode, depending on what the goal is in that mode. There arefive different symbols:

-   -   Orange button, one arrow pointing to the left and one arrow        pointing to the right: Signifies a level in which the player has        to gain a certain amount of points in a limited number of moves.    -   Blue button with a square of jelly: Signifies a level in which        the player has to remove all the jelly.    -   Green button with a downwards pointing arrow: Signifies a level        in which the player has to bring down ingredients.    -   Purple button with an hourglass: Signifies a level in which the        player has to fulfil certain criteria within a limited amount of        time.    -   Pink button with a tick on it: Signifies a level in which the        player has to remove certain amounts of specific candies, or        make specific combinations of regular and special candies.

Thumbnails

In the map view, the player can hover over an unlocked level to displaya thumbnail of it, see FIG. 4. This makes it easier to find specificalready completed levels, and can also give the player an idea of whatto expect before actually starting a level. Thumbnails cannot bedisplayed for levels that have not yet been reached. If trying to viewone of these a symbol of a padlock will be in the place the miniatureversion of the level is supposed to be.

The thumbnail can also display how well the player has done on the levelif he has played it previously. This can for instance be representedwith the number of stars the player has received on that level, theactual score or some other indication.

The thumbnail can also display the player's position on the high scoretable in relation to the player's friends or showing what friends are onthe high score table. This can be a driver for the player to replay thelevel to beat one of the friends.

Stars Next to Level Nodes

In order to give players a better overview of their progress and overallperformance in the game, Candy Crush Saga shows the amount of starsachieved on a level adjacent to the level node. When hovering over alevel node, the stars are instead displayed adjacent to the thumbnail.

Social Aspect Connection to a Social Network

Games created using the invention described herein can be connected toor linked with a social network such as Facebook™ or Google+™ or a gamesplatform with different players who can interact and see each other'sprogress. It is common that the users on such networks have avatars withfor instance a photo of the user and/or the user's name. Such avatarscan for instance also be a sign or a figure.

The social network can be located on a server that is different from theserver on which the game is located, the game and the social network canalso be located on the same server. In some implementations there is adirect live connection between the social network and the game platformthat continuously synchronise them, in other implementations the twoplatforms synchronise at certain intervals, such as when the player logsinto the game. The players progress when having played in offline mode(for instance completed levels and score), for instance if the player istravelling in a tunnel, can be synchronized when the player is connectedto the internet.

The user and his friends' avatars can be displayed in the game or inrelation to different levels in the game to show the player's progress.The avatars can also be shown in relation to indicators of the player'sskill level or high score. In some implementations the avatars can bederived from a social network to which the game is connected, in otherimplementations they can be derived from a database related to the game.It is possible for the avatars related to users to change depending onthe overall progress or performance in the game. For instance, an avatarcan become larger or more visually advanced as the player plays the gamefor a longer time.

The user can connect with other users of the social network, either as“friends” on the social network or as “friends” within the gameenvironment. The player can interact with other players he is connectedto on the social network or who are playing the same game.

The game can be implemented to synchronize game state information and/orretrieve and connect to the social graph information and user profile ofthe player on a social network. It can also be connected to aproprietary network related to the game or the game developer.

The game can also be implemented so that it is connected to a pluralityof social networks. The user can be given the option to select whatinformation that can be derived and shared with which social network.

One example of how the game can be connected to a social network is theFacebook™'s Open Graph API allows websites and applications to draw andshare information about more objects than simply people, includingphotos, events, and pages, and their relationships between each other.This expands the social graph concept to more than just relationshipsbetween individuals and instead applies it to virtual non-human objectsbetween individuals, as well. A game can typically share in-game eventssuch as that a level has been completed, that a player has passed afriend in the game or beaten a friend's high score on a level. The gamecan also post events, such as that a player has purchased objects in thegame or received objects from other players of the game.

High Score List

When showing the pre-level screen, players are presented with thehighscores of friends. This gives an opportunity to know beforehand whatto aim for, and is something that increases the competitive element inthe game. The information about friends' scores is derived from a socialnetwork connected to which the game is connected. It is important forfurther increasing the engagement and of players and to some extentviralisation, since players are constantly being reminded about theperformance of others, which can incentivise players to try harder.

In some implementations, each area in the game can have a ‘Candy King’,meaning the player within a network of players that has the bestperformance on the levels in that area.

Friends' and Player's Progress Showing on Virtual Path

Another feature in the game that increases the competitive element isthat friends' progress on the virtual map is shown. Even if the playerhas not unlocked or reached the areas in which friends are playing,their progress can still be shown by means of a picture associated withthe player being displayed next to the level they are currently at, seeFIG. 4.

It is also possible to invite new players to play the game. These can beinvited through the game platform or through a social network to whichthe game is connected. In some implementations, the game suggests whichplayers to invite. This suggestion can for instance be based on if theplayers have played other games from the same developer, if they areactive on a social network or if they seem to like other games in thesame genre. It is also possible for the suggestions to be based fromdata related to a social network, such as how often they interact withother players or how often they log in to the social network.

One aspect that increases the competitive element of the game is thatmessages can be sent to friends, for instance related to beating theirscores or passing them in terms of overall level progression. In someimplementations, the game prompts the player to send a message to signalthat a friend has been beaten. This message can be edited by the player,or it can be a pre-defined version suggested by the game.

The messages can be generated on a server hosting the game or on aserver hosting a social network to which the game is connected.Information used in the message can for instance be derived from one ofthe databases to which the game is connected or from databases relatedto networks to which the game is connected.

Sending Gifts

One aspect of Candy Crush Saga that increases the viralisation andengagement of players is the ability to send gifts to other players,which help them in the game. It is possible to give certain gifts forfree, such as one extra life. The option to send free lives is availablefor instance through the pre-level screen and the post-level screen.When starting the game, the player is presented with a list of friendsto send lives to, as FIG. 68.

After this screen, the player is presented with new messages. Gifts sentfrom other players are displayed under messages, and certain free giftssuch as lives can easily be reciprocated. In FIG. 69, clicking ‘Accept’would automatically send a life back to the friend who sent one.

In some implementations the game prompts players to send lives to otherplayers that have run out of lives. When a player completes a levelafter receiving help from a friend, a ‘thank you’-message can be sent tothat friend, either automatically or manually. This message can containan item of value. In some implementations the player helping anotherplayer can get other benefits, such as special symbols or marks beingdisplayed next to their names. Recognition is another benefit that canbe awarded to players who help others.

In the mobile version of the game, the player is presented with messageswhen logging in. Messages that are presented can be related to theplayer receiving lives and friends requesting lives. This is shown inFIG. 70. After receiving a life from a friend, the player is asked tosend a life back. If choosing to send a life back in response, thefriend who originally sent it will not get a request to send back yetanother life. So, this chain of events has two steps if a player startsout by sending a life without request; step 1 is sending a life and step2 is the recipient sending a life back in response. If a player startswith requesting a life, the chain of events has three steps; step 1 isrequesting a life, step 2 is receiving a life, step 3 is sending a lifeback in response.

It is also possible to buy gifts in the Yeti shop and send these tofriends. Such gifts are in the form of boosters that can be used eitherduring a level or before a level.

Sending Extra Moves to a Player that is Stuck on a Level for a CertainNumber of Days/Failed Attempts

Another way of helping friends is to send extra moves. This is notsomething that is possible to do to all players at all times, butinstead certain criteria must be fulfilled. The criteria are related tohow long a player has been stuck on the same level. When selecting theicon ‘Play with Friends’, a list of friends is presented, see FIG. 71.Some of these friends will have been stuck on a level for an extendedperiod of time, and the player then has an option to help these playersby sending three extra moves, free of charge. These moves are differentfrom the booster giving five extra moves, not only because the amount ofextra moves is lower, but also because the booster is only usable andavailable on a specific level. This is a way of facilitating the harderlevels of the game by receiving help from friends.

The game can also prompt the player to send extra moves to friends thathave been stuck on the same level for an extended period of time. Insome implementations, this period of time is two days. In otherimplementations, the criteria for a player being stuck is related to theamount of times they have tried and failed a level. The prompting is forinstance done when a player logs onto the game, as shown in FIG. 72.This increases engagement by helping players when the game isparticularly difficult, and also adds a sense of collaboration andcommunity among players. When a player has received extra moves this isindicated by a ribbon enveloping the node of the level in which themoves can be used, see FIG. 4.

In some implementations, the player can receive help from multiplefriends. Help from multiple friends can be used at the same time orsubsequently. When a player completes a level after receiving help froma friend, a ‘thank you’-message can be sent to that friend. This messagecan have different implementations, such as the ones described in thepassage above about a thank-you message related to sending lives.

Candy Crush Saga has a storyline that runs through the game. The maincharacter is a little girl that goes around helping and defeatingvarious creatures. At the start of the game, as well as at the start ofevery new episode, there are animated sequences. These sequences tellthe story of how the girl goes around the world of Candy Crush Saga andhow she overcomes obstacles that are presented to her. FIG. 73 shows anexample of an animation that is displayed at the start of a new episode.

In some implementations, an area will start off as being slightly dirtywith a sad atmosphere, to become colourful and full of love and warmthas the player progresses through the levels. Areas become even morehappy and colourful as the player earns more stars, even on previouslycompleted levels.

Invite Friends

The player may in some implementations select subgroups of all availablefriends or filter the friends to only show the friends that also areplaying the game. An exemplary implementation is shown in FIG. 74, FIG.75 and FIG. 76.

The friend selection may appear when the player is to send requests toother player or ask for help. Exemplary implementations may include:

-   -   Send moves pop-up    -   Send lives pop-up    -   Invite friends pop-up    -   Other pop-ups which prompts the player to select friends

By way of example one implementation where the player can select tofilter the friends may be based on a certain criteria such as the levelof interaction the friends have had in the past or the skill level orprogress in the games. These different criteria are illustrated with apre-filtering in three tabs in a pop-up window in the game. This popupwindow can be automatically initiated by the game, or requested by theplayer through for instance pressing a button in the game.

The list of friends may be populated from friends of the player that arealso active in the game or only from friends on a social network. FIG.74 shows the first tab open where friends from a social network who haveinstalled the game are listed. In one implementation the default mode isthat no friends have been selected. Clicking on a friend's picture orname will select that friend and a tick mar may appear to indicate thatit has been selected.

Listed friends may be prioritised in the way they are shown in the listto the player. One such criteria in which the order of the listedfriends show may be if they have paid for something in the game. Withinthat group players may be higher ranked if they have spent more money orif they have spent more money within a specific time period. Anothercriteria may be that the listed friends have been active in the gamewithin a certain time period or with a certain activity level. Anothercriteria may be that the listed friends are ranked base don how manytotal game invites they have received to date, highest first.

If the user has no friends playing the game, this tab may be renamed‘Friends playing other games’ and the same prioritisation may be appliedto these game network players.

If the user has no friends at all playing games according to thefiltering criteria then the tab may not appear.

The next tab in FIG. 75 shows all friends the player has connected within the social network.

The third tab shown in FIG. 76 shows friends on the social network thatthe player previously have sent a request to. Only the friends that havenot yet responded to the request are listed here. In an alternativeimplementation only the friends that have not yet installed the game maybe presented in this tab. The player may tick some of the friends toindicate which to send a reminder to.

The friends listed in the different tabs may be prioritised further. Thefollowing refers to the tabs ‘all friends’ and ‘remind friends’ but theperson skilled in the art will understand that this may in someimplementations also be applied to other filtered groups.

Friends are prioritised in the following way:

1. Paying players within the game company's network, in order of CLV(customer life-time value) (highest CLV first), then in order of theinvites received to date for the current game (highest first)2. Non-paying players within the game company's network, in order of CLV(if CLV is >$x; highest CLV first), then in order of invites received todate in the current game (highest first)3. Non-users of the game company's network (in order of invites receivedto date in the current game, highest first)

Ideally, this list should be easy to reorganise. E.g. in month 1 thefocus might be on virality, so we would prioritise the game network'splayers known to be viral, but in month 2 we might want to focus onmonetisation, so we would want to prioritise the game network's playerswho spend a lot.

Prompting invitees may be stopped at some point so that they are notbeing spammed. For instance, invitees who have received >10 invitesshould no longer appear in the list.

Customising Friend Selection Pop-Ups

Friend selector pop-ups may be customized according to two factors: (1)the user who sees them, and (2) the current priorities of the gameenvironment where it has been implemented.

For example: the game team wants to push monetization, so in the ‘Sendmoves’ pop-up the user's friends are arranged according to their spend,and so only friends with the highest spend appear in the pop-up.

The standard implementation for showing popups is to show all friends.Reasons for customizing the popups can be several:

-   -   Increase spend (e.g. prioritise friends with high spend/CLV)    -   Increase retention (e.g. prioritise inactive friends)    -   Increase requests sent (e.g. prioritise viral friends)    -   Increase CTR on notifications by improving targeting (e.g. by        increasing relevance to recipient)

All these give the game developer an additional tool to optimiseperformance of a game.

What information can be used for a typical implementation?

The players may be ranked according to a set of measures. For example:

-   -   Spend (for example how much has this player spent on in-game        items over a period of time)    -   Virality (for instance how active is this player responding to        notifications, help requests and other in-game viral effects)    -   Activity (for instance how active this player is playing the        game; when did the player last play or how many levels have the        player played)

These may also be combined—e.g. if the game team wants to reactivelapsed spenders, they might want the send moves pop-up to display eachuser's friends in order of spend, but to display only users who havebeen inactive for 10+ days.

Examples of Implementation in a System

There are many possible approaches. Customisation could be approached ona game-specific basis, using only information relating to a single game(e.g. the game could customise pop-ups using only the game's data): Thisinformation is stored in the game's own database. But customisation maybe much more powerful if it used data from across the games companynetwork, using data from all games. That information is typically storedin a database.

How can we use that information to support customisation?

Customisation on a game-specific basis—the server creates the userrankings based their past behaviour in the game, and that determineswhich users the server sends to the client. The client would simplydisplay the users selected.

Customisation on a game company network basis—we create user rankingsbased on information taken from a database, covering all their activitywithin the game company network. The rankings would be stored in asystem, would be updated at least on a daily basis, and would beavailable to all games using that framework. An individual game'sservers would pull the rankings out of the system, and determine whichusers to send to the client. The client would simply display the usersselected.

Music, Sounds and Effects

Candy Crush Saga has both music and other audio effects that areimportant for the overall feel of the game. All sounds and music havethe same warm feeling to them as the colours and animations.

Sounds and Effects

Audio effects are always played as soon as something is happening in thegame whether it is due to an input from the player or if it's some kindof automated event. For example, an automated event could be when theuser starts the game and a pop up appear suggesting that the playershould send gifts to friends. When this pop up appear there is adiscrete swishing sound to make the player aware that somethinghappened. Another automated event could be before starting a level and amessage screen shows up saying what needs to be done to pass the levelbefore it automatically disappears again.

For all objects that can be interacted with in the game, there is alwayseither a visual notification, a sound, or both, to let the player knowthat something in the interface can be interacted with. For example, inone implementation there is a shop icon that highlights, starts swingingand lets off a short sound when the mouse is hovered over it.

The sounds played to give indication of interactable objects are alwaysnon-disturbing sounds that the player does not even think about arethere unless someone points it out to him.

Sounds and effects are not only there to indicate when an interaction ispossible. They are also present when something is being or has beeninteracted with, for example a click on a button would make a certainsound and sometimes change the appearance on some of the buttonsavailable. FIG. 77 shows one implementation where a play button lookslike a wrapped candy and when pressed the wrapper on the button becomeswrinkled.

Clicking on a candy when playing a level would also give a visualnotification. In one implementation the candy would be highlighted andso the player will know what candy has been chosen. In anotherimplementation a frame would appear around the chosen candy, see FIG.78.

When making different kinds of switches there are also different kindsof sounds and animations connected to these. There is one sound if theplayer tries to make an invalid move, another sound for a match ofthree, yet another sound for a match of four and so on. When candies areremoved there is a small animation of stars in the emptied space. Thisadds to the visual feeling of the game.

The game encourages players to make good moves, and the sounds made whengenerating special candies are triumphant-sounding and can give playersa feeling of satisfaction.

Triggering special candies also have their unique sounds and visualeffects. Animations with lines and stars are shown to emphasize how goodit is to use these in the game and how much it helps the player. FIG. 79shows a collection of several implementations of animations that areshown when various game elements are being triggered or removed.

If getting a cascade of matches falling one after the other then thereis yet another sound together with a message shown on the screen sayingeither ‘Delicious’, ‘Divine’, ‘Sweet’ and ‘Tasty’ depending on how manymatches were made with only one move. Together with these visualmessages there is a voice saying them out loud in order to complimentand motivate the player and as a result adding more feeling to the game.The same thing happens when completing a level, there is a voice and amessage saying ‘Sugar crush!’ in order to make the player feel like agood player.

Background Music

Music is constantly played while displaying the virtual landscape aswell as when showing the game board. There can in some implementationsbe different music playing in a level compared to when viewing thevirtual landscape.

Candy Crush Saga has implemented a background music that creates a stateof mind of the player that is desirable to optimize engagement, viralityand monetization.

The music is a waltz.

-   -   dance music—human body is naturally inclined to ‘dance’ along        (even if just subconsciously)    -   strong beat falls approx. every second, feels in time with        heartbeat, adds to sense of internalising the music    -   the whole thing works on a subconscious level to keep the player        involved in the game—mentally/subconsciously the player        sings/dances along    -   first few levels: whistle    -   addition of ‘human’ sound is clever—adds a level of reality to        an otherwise surreal/virtual game    -   functions as question and answer (whistle provides the        answer/response to the opening instrumental question)    -   leads the player to subconsciously ‘fill in’ the answer along        with the whistle    -   all this, again, increases the level of absorption in the gaming        experience        The in-Between Level Music (i.e. On the ‘this is Your Score’        Pages)

Weird and jarring descending passages in an unusual mode—creates aslightly unpleasant and jittery feeling after the contrastinghappy/swinging/jolly music of the game play->subconsciously makes theplayer speed up and get onto the next gameplay screen where ‘normal’tonality and harmony resume!

The speed of the music in gameplay mode—

-   -   a waltz has three beats in a bar (ONE two three|ONE two        three|ONE two three, etc.)    -   although strong beat of the waltz falls every second, giving        impression of gentle calm pace, the actual beats (one, two and        three) are quite fast (i.e. three to a second)—this speed in the        music creates a pressure on the player.    -   so the player is really absorbed in game and music, and is        unwittingly spurred to play quickly (increasing the pressure,        feeling of challenge, thrill, excitement, whatever you want to        call it) because of this constant push from the music's tempo.        Still there is a calm feeling.    -   The music experience is subtle, sly and effective!

Synchronization Between Devices

Three platforms in particular are changing the way people expect gamesto be played. These three platforms are growing at the same time, andprovide new input possibilities. To date, games have not absorbed allthe new input possibilities.

The first platform is Facebook. The skilled person will understand thatwhere Facebook is referred to in this document, other social networkplatforms may be used. A Facebook game may be a social game, a game youplay with your friends. It is rare or unthinkable to launch a game (i.e.to play for the first time) on Facebook that is a paid game, becausepeople playing games on Facebook expect not to pay to access a game. AFacebook game may be played on the internet, after logging in toFacebook (whether automatically or manually), such as from a personalcomputer.

The second platform is smartphones. Use of smartphones is not alwayscontinuous. You may use a smartphone for 5 minutes on a bus, and thenfor 20 minutes on a connecting train, for example. The use can have manystarts and stops. Not like someone working at an office desk or at ahome desk in a conventional way. A smartphone can be on an iOS platform,or on an Android platform, for example.

The third platform is tablets. What is a tablet? It can function as amobile device and as a non-mobile device. The tablet can be a substitutefor a personal computer. A user may want a seamless experience betweenusing the game on a personal computer and on a tablet and on anothermobile device. A tablet can be on an iOS platform, or on an Androidplatform, for example.

A game which works on a plurality of such as all three of the aboveplatforms (or more), may provide a connected fully-synchronized seamlessexperience. Hence multi-platform games are important. Key criteria formulti-platform games are: they are free, they are social, stop-start useis possible, and seamless experience is provided. Such games may be“played anywhere” e.g. in a mobile environment or in a non-mobileenvironment. Such games may also be played online or offline.

The game must be fun when used in a stop-start way, and when used foreven just short intervals. In an example, a game consists of parts orlevels, each of which runs for about 3 minutes, eg. between 1 and 5minutes. In an example, a game is structured in levels, so that ifsuccessful in a game level, such as by scoring a minimum score, a usercan progress from that level to the next level. In an example, a gamehas about 200 levels.

A game can be optimized post-launch. For example, if it is clear thattoo many users are failing to progress past a particular level, theminimum score to pass the level can be lowered. An optimized game may beprovided as an application update from an application store. In analternative, a game may be optimized by a server sending a revised datafile of scores required to pass each game level to a mobile device, whena game state of a user is being synchronized with the server, whereinthe application running on the device replaces the previous file ofscores stored on the device required to pass each level with the revisedfile of scores required to pass each level.

See for instance the method and system described in U.S. applicationSer. No. 13/479,107 filed on 23 May 2012 and incorporated in thisdocument.

The system and method described herein can be implemented together witha game, in which players can see their own and also their social networkfriends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtual world)and in which game state information is fully synchronised acrossdifferent platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook orother online social network, so that a player can seamlessly stop andre-start playing the game on any of those different platforms.

Different Devices

Some implementations of the game allows for the game to be synchronisedbetween different devices or platforms.

The game can for instance be played in an offline mode on a handhelddevice using locally stored information on the handheld device. Thedevice can store all or some of the levels that are available for theplayer to play in the game. Some of the features in the game can belocally run on the device and dependent on the local machine. This canfor instance be that if the game is implemented to regenerate livesafter a certain period of time, then the time can be locally decidedbased on the clock on the device. In some implementations, the centralgame server clock can override the local clock when the local device hasbeen synchronised with the server.

A game can be implemented so that the player knows if it hassynchronised the available data with the central server or servers. Thiscan for instance be through a coloured symbol or a check mark thatindicates that the information is up to date. FIG. 80 shows oneimplementation of this where a symbol on the bottom right corner of thescreen has a spinning animation while synchronizing and whensynchronization has completed the symbol turns into a check mark symbol.

The game can also indicate if it has been able to establish a connectionwith the central server for synchronisation or if for instance thenetwork connection is down. That the device is offline can for instancebe illustrated with a greyed out icon.

Different Platforms (FB/Google+)

The game can be implemented to synchronize game state information and/orretrieve and connect to the social graph information and user profile ofthe player on a social network such as Facebook or Google+.

The game can also be implemented so that it is connected to a pluralityof social networks. The user can be given the option to select whatinformation that can be derived and shared with which social network.

One example of how the game can be connected to a social network is theFacebook™'s Open Graph API allows websites and applications to draw andshare information about more objects than simply people, includingphotos, events, and pages, and their relationships between each other.This expands the social graph concept to more than just relationshipsbetween individuals and instead applies it to virtual non-human objectsbetween individuals, as well. A game can typically share in-game eventssuch as that a level has been completed, that a player has passed afriend in the game or beaten a friend's high score on a level. The gamecan also post event such as that a player has purchased objects in thegame or received objects from other players of the game.

Features that may be implemented using the inventions described herein

Having Various Elements to Combine in the Game.

There are six different game elements (candies). They can be combined inseries of 3, 4 or 5 in a line, either row or a column, or incombinations in the shape of a T- or L-form.

Having Game Elements with a Certain Size

The game elements have certain sizes, all similar but not identical,making it possible to have a specific maximum number of rows and columnswith candies.

Having a Transparent Area for the Game Board.

The game board is dark, semi-transparent and placed on top of abackground picture which is tied to the story of the game.

Having a Specific Area for Each Separate Game Element.

In the game board, each element has a square space that is delimited bylight horizontal lines and darker vertical lines. The lines do not coverthe full square, but leave a gap in all the corners.

Adding Extra Obstacles and Difficulties to Complete a Level

New special game elements are introduced throughout the game to increasethe difficulty. For example a layer which has to be removed by matchinga candy covered by the layer jelly) or an impassable block that has tobe removed by matching candies next to it a number of times (Frosting).

Having Another Challenge for the Level.

Most levels have two separate goals, one involving certain actions(remove jelly, get fruits to the bottom) and another related to score.This makes for a more challenging game.

Rewarding the Player with Points for Matching Combinations

The player is awarded points for each combination of at least 3 candies,enabling high score comparisons with other players as well as achallenge to beat oneself.

Showing What Points the Player is Earning

The amount of points gained by a combination is shown upon completing acombination, in the same colour as the candies used in the combination.

Getting a Certain Amount of Points for Removing a Certain Amount of GameElements

The score given for different combinations is not linear, but formed ina way to encourage longer combinations and a more thought out approachof playing the game.

Give Bonus Points in the Form of Certain ‘Schemes’ to Player whenFinishing a Level Sooner than Necessary

When a player finishes with moves left, bonus points are awarded.However, it is not simply a point bonus, there are at least twodifferent bonus-schemes that can trigger. One transforms a number ofcandies into striped candies, the other summons jellyfish that removecandies on the game board.

Having an Item that Removes Three Columns or Rows

There is a booster that removes three columns by turning three candiesinto striped candies. This booster is in the form of a coconut wheel.

Different Combinations of Games Elements Return Special Game Elements

By making certain combinations of candies, special game elements will beproduced. These are formed by making combinations of 4 candies (stripedcandy), 5 candies in a row or column (colour bomb), L or T-shapes of 5candies (bomb candy).

One Game Element that when Combined with the Same Colour Removes allElements in that Row or Column.

A colour bomb-candy will be produced by combining 5 candies in a row orcolumn. This item will either remove all candies of a certain colour (ifcombined with a regular candy), or it will remove all elements of twocolours (if combined with a bomb candy) or it will transform all candiesof the same colour into striped candies that subsequently trigger (ifcombined with a striped candy).

One Game Element Removes all Elements in a Certain Radius

By combining 5 or 6 candies into a L-shape or a T-shape, a bomb candywill be produced. This removes elements in a rectangle shape with athree-candy diameter.

Receive a Special Effect when Combining Striped Game Elements with EachOther

It is possible to combine striped candies, when doing so one column andone row of candies will be removed.

Receive a Special Effect when Combining a Striped Game Element with BombCandy

It is possible to combine a striped candy with a bomb candy, when doingso three columns and three rows of candies will be removed, originatingfrom the spot where the combination was made.

Receive a Special Effect when Combining Two Bombs

It is possible to combine two bomb candies with each other. When doingso a rectangle shape with a diameter of 5 candies will be removed byeach combined bomb candy.

Visualize the Effect when Combining a Striped Element with the ElementReceived from L- and T-Shapes

When combining a striped candy with a bomb candy, a special visualanimation is triggered in the form of a giant candy moving firsthorizontally in both directions from the point of origin, thenvertically.

Have a Combination that Transforms Other Elements

When combining a colour bomb with a striped candy, all other candies ofthat colour will also be transformed into striped game elements thatautomatically trigger.

Having a Non-Obvious Division of Levels

The first and the second area in the game each has 10 levels. Area threeand all subsequent areas each has 15 levels. This is not an obviousdivision, but might make it feel easier in the beginning.

Having and Showing a Map of the Game

The player progresses through the levels of the game, which is visuallyrepresented on a map. This gives the player a more tangible way ofseeing progress than if levels were just represented by a number.

Having a Navigator

Having a tool for helping players to easily navigate and jump betweenareas on a map with as little effort as possible. One implementation isto have an expandable mini map which the player can scroll or click onto jump to desired location, or press a button which instantly takes theplayer to the furthest reached location on the map.

Having a tool that helps players getting an overview of a map either bythe help of a special designed mini map or with a zoom in/out function.

Showing a Thumbnail of Each Level when Hovering the Cursor Over it onthe Map

A small thumbnail version of each level can be shown by hovering thecursor over the level icon on the map. This gives the player a feel forwhat the level looks like before playing it, and makes it easier to finda level when wanting to replay it.

Having an Indicator Showing which Level the Player has Reached

The highest level reached by a player is indicated by an orange arrowpointing at it. This makes it easy for the player to find the currentlevel and also facilitates the visualization of how far he hasprogressed.

To Show that a Level or Part of the Game is not Yet Available to Play

All available levels in Candy Crush can be viewed in the map, eventhough they haven't been unlocked. However, a padlock symbol is shown torepresent that a level is yet to be unlocked and that it currentlycannot be played.

Having an Welcoming Message Displayed at the Start of the Game

At the start of Candy Crush the player is greeted by an encouragingmessage: “Your adventure starts today! Click here to play level 2!”

To have a Tutorial

Candy Crush offers a tutorial in the beginning of the game to introducethe player to new concepts. Basic concepts, possible combinations andthe different game modes are explained among other things.

Multiple Game Modes

Different game modes makes for a more diverse game. Candy Crush offersat least five different game modes—Score, Jelly, Ingredients, Orders,Time

To have Blocks that have to be Removed Before Objects can Pass Through

There are game elements in Candy Crush that have to be removed beforeobjects can pass through the space they occupy. These are in the form offrosting blocks and require candies to be matched next to them a certainamount of times before they disappear.

Giving the Player Information about a Chosen Level and the Option to UseExtra Boosters

When selecting a level from the map-view, information about the level isdisplayed together with an array of boosters that can be purchasedand/or activated for that level. Information include previous scores offriends and specific instructions for the current level.

To Display Friends' Highscore

The previous high score of friends can be seen before playing a level,while playing a level and after a level has been played (provided thatfriends have played the level before). This increases competition andgives a sense of community at the same time.

To Give the Player the Option to Use Extra Boosters

The player can select boosters before playing a level as well as duringthe play of a level. The boosters which can be used in the twosituations differ. This facilitates and adds more depth to the game.

Share a Result with Friends

After finishing a level, the player will get feedback to how his scorerelates to that of friends playing the game. An option is given to shareresults with friends, possibly accompanied by a message saying somethingalong the lines of ‘I beat your score’.

To Show the Player how Well a Level is being Completed

The player is provided real-time feedback in relation to the scoreduring play of a level. This is done by a meter being filled, the meterhaving three different levels represented by one, two and three starsrespectively.

Have Aesthetic Icons for Showing Results of Finished Levels.

In the map-view, the player can see results of previously completedlevels in the form of how many stars were attained in those levels. Thismakes for a easy overview of the overall performance in the game.

Giving the Player a Maximum Amount of Life that is Restored Over Time

The player starts with 5 lives that are used up when failing to completea level. These lives are then replenished with one life every 30minutes.

Having a Thumbnail Version of a Level

When hovering over a level with the cursor, the player is presented witha thumbnail version of the level, showing the layout of it. Alsodisplayed on this thumbnail is the performance of the player, ifapplicable, and also the performance of friends, if applicable.

Having an Algorithm for Reshuffling and Recognizing when there are NoPossible Moves Left

Candy Crush very quickly recognizes when there are no possible movesleft. When that occurs, the candies on the game board are re-shuffled.When re-shuffling, there will be no combinations automaticallytriggering, i.e. 3 or more candies are not placed adjacent to eachother.

A Match 3-Game with Boosters Usable Across Different Platforms

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path, in whichthe game is fully sync'd across different platforms, such as iOS,desktop and Android via Facebook, and, in which the gameplay for eachlevel can be enhanced through the use of an acquired item.

-   -   The acquired items can be synchronized across all of the        platforms where the game is played by the user.        A Match 3-Game with a Mode to Bring Down Objects

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path and, inwhich the game board contains switchable elements that can be matchedwith other switchable elements and switchable elements that cannot bematched with other switchable elements on the game board, where one ofthe goals for completing a level is to interact with the game board insuch a way that a predefined number of non-matchable switchable elementsare placed in any of a plurality of predefined areas on the game board.

A Match 3-Game with Multiple Different Objectives

A match 3 game in which the player has to satisfy a plurality ofcriteria within a limited number of moves to complete the level; thecriteria include at least one of the following:

-   -   reaching a target score    -   removing matchable game elements to clear a path for a        non-matchable game element to get to a predefined area on the        game board    -   clear a predefined number of a certain type of game items        layered on the game board having a matchable game element        together with each of the layered game items, each layered game        item can be removed by removing a matcheable game element in the        same position as the layered game item.

Concepts Key Concepts

There are multiple technical challenges facing the designer of computerimplemented games. These challenges can be broadly categorised into thefollowing areas: ‘engagement’; ‘viralisation’ and ‘monetisation’.

We will look first at ‘engagement’, which involves designing game playto be engaging and rewarding to players. This typically requires gamesto be easily understood at their simplest or introductory levels,providing rewarding game play with even quite simple game mechanics, butbecoming progressively more challenging so that players are not bored,but remain engaged and develop rewarding skills Effective engagementrequires various forms of feedback to reinforce players' sense ofsuccess and accomplishment. Effective engagement can be greatlymagnified if the game has a social aspect—for example, it is linked intoa social network so that game players can interact with their friends inthe social network. The game can then transform into something that goesfar beyond a simple solo game experience, into a shared journey.

‘Viralisation’ requires a game to be include various techniques thatencourage players to share the game with others, encouraging them toplay the game. It is a key technique in enabling mass-scale distributionor penetration of games. Viralisation can be especially effective whenthe game is integrated into a social network environment in some manner,so that the game can then propagate through the network of player'sfriends, and their friends and so on.

‘Monetisation’ covers those techniques that enable revenue to begenerated from a game; this involves many challenges, because themonetisation techniques need to be acceptable to players and in no wayundermine engagement.

A successful and original game will requires a team of game designers tosolve complex problems of engagement, viralisation and monetisation;this can take many months of skilled work and, not infrequently, a greatdeal of trial-and-error testing of new ideas, functions and gamemechanics before a game successfully combines all these elements into anew experience. The skilled game designer will appreciate that there isan almost infinite number of possible combinations of game features andmechanics available to him—although in isolation, these features may beknown, it takes inventive insight to create a combination where there issome synergistic effect, or where the whole is more compelling than themere sum of its parts.

In this section, we will summarise some of the combinations of featuresthat have made Candy Crush Saga one of the most popular casual, socialgames in the world.

High Level-Concepts

A gaming system in which functions and features relating to sharingplayers' game state information, including levels and achievements, on avirtual path (or other virtual world) with that player's social networkfriends is continuously or regularly optimized for engagement andmonetization by continuously or regularly monitoring analysing playerbehaviour and interaction, such as monetisation.

A gaming system in which a single user database, which may bedistributed or centralised, tracks all metrics for all players,including all game state information, irrespective of the platform usedby each of those players, and that single user database is accessible byseveral different games, such as a match 3 switcher and a match 3clicker, a bubble shooter etc.

A casual, social game connected to a player's friends through a socialnetwork, in which every change in the game state, such as every move ofa game piece by the user, and every consequential change in every gamepiece on the game board, is accompanied by sound and/or visual feedbackto provide immediate, positive gratification to the player.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and alsotheir social network friends' game level position on a virtual path (orother virtual world) and in which game state information is fully sync'dacross different platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android viaFacebook, so that a player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing thegame on any of those different platforms.

A match 3 switcher game, in which a player's score and game levelposition and also the scores and game level positions of all theirsocial network friends also playing the game, is fully sync'd acrossdifferent platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or othervirtual world) and, in which each level of the game can be failed and,if a level is failed, the game automatically offers the player extramoves to purchase, to carry on playing the game.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or othervirtual world), in which in-app purchases are bought for real or virtualcurrency by touching an icon of the booster shown next to the gameplayboard, and then touching a ‘buy’ button that is subsequently displayed.

A match 3 switcher game, in which a player's score and game levelposition and also the scores and game level positions of all theirsocial network friends also playing the game, is fully sync'd acrossdifferent platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook, andthere are sections of the game that must be unlocked through either helpfrom those friends or through a purchase.

A match 3 switcher game, connected to a player's friends through asocial network, in which friends can send gifts, boosters, extra moves,or extra lives to one another.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld) and where a visual prompt is displayed by the game if a friend'shigh score has been beaten by that player, the prompt enabling theplayer to send a message to that friend.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and alsotheir social network friends' game level position on a virtual path (orother virtual world) and where the player can play the game in offlinemode on one platform/device and the progress in the game and other gamestate information is synchronised with a remote server when the deviceis online again and the player can continue playing the game on anotherplatform.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or othervirtual world) and the game enables the player to buy a permanentbooster which can be used without limit in time.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or othervirtual world), in which successive levels have different difficultyrankings to introduce variety even without a new game mechanic beingintroduced—e.g. after a difficult level, there is an easier level.

A match 3 switcher game, connected to a player's friends through asocial network, where some or all of those friends are sent a messageprompting the friend(s) to assist the player once that player hasplayed, but not completed, a level, for more than a predefined time orpredefined number of attempts.

A match 3 switcher game, or other kind of social, casual game, in whichplayers can see their own and their social network friends' levelposition on a virtual path (or other virtual world) and where the playeris prompted to notify a social network friend when the friend's highscore on a specific level has been beaten by that player.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or othervirtual world), in which the game state information is fully sync'dacross different platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android viaFacebook, and, in which the gameplay for each level can be enhancedthrough the use of an acquired item, such as a booster.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or othervirtual world), in which the game state information is fully sync'dacross different platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android viaFacebook, and, in which the gameplay for each level can be enhancedthrough the use of an acquired item, such as a booster, and where thegame state information relating to the acquisition or use of an acquireditem is synchronized across several different platforms.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path (or othervirtual world) and, in which the game board contains switchable elementsthat can be matched with other switchable elements and switchableelements that cannot be matched with other switchable elements on thegame board, where one of the goals for completing a level is to interactwith the game board in such a way that a predefined number ofnon-matchable switchable elements are placed in any of a plurality ofpredefined areas on the game board, such as being brought down from thetop of the gameboard to the bottom.

A match 3 game in which the player has to satisfy multiple criteriawithin a limited number of moves to complete the level; in which thecriteria include at least two of the following:

-   -   reaching a target score    -   removing matchable game elements to clear a path for a        non-matchable game element to reach a predefined area on the        game board    -   clear a predefined number of a certain type of game items        layered on the game board having a matchable game element,        together with each of the layered game items, where each layered        game item can be removed by removing a matcheable game element        in the same position as the layered game item.

A match 3 switcher game in which a player can purchase on-line a boosterto aid gameplay and that booster, once available for use on the player'scurrent platform, can be used immediately and alternatively on any otherplatform used by the player, and in which game state information forthat player, including information relating to use of the booster, issynchronised using a remote server across each of several differentdevices used by that player.

A casual online game connected to a social network in which players cansee their own and their social network friends' game level position on avirtual path (or other virtual world) with nodes representing levels inthe game, and each node can reveal, in response to user input, agraphical preview representation of the gameboard for that level and, ifthe player has played that level before, a visual indication of how wellthe player succeeded on that level.

A match 3 switcher game in which, after a player has failed to meet thelevel completion criteria, a message is shown articulating why the levelcompletion criteria was not met, and offering as the only visuallysignificant option to replay the level.

A match 3 switcher game in which, after a player has achieved the levelcompletion criteria, a message is shown articulating that the level wassuccessfully completed, and offering as the only visually significantoption to share information to a social network.

A match 3 switcher game in which, when matching 3 or more of the sametype of game element the matched game elements are removed from the gameboard and replaced with a game element from the same type of gameelements that has a higher stage, and when including the newlyintroduced game element in a new combination replacing it with anothergame element of a further higher stage, when the introduced game elementreach a certain stage it is removed and all game elements of the sametype on the game board are upgraded one level.

NB Each of the above concepts can be combine with any and all of theother high-level concepts. Also, although the high-level concepts aregenerally defined in relation to a match 3-switcher game, the conceptscan be deployed in other game variants (e.g. clicker games).

Further Concepts

A gaming system in which a single user database, which may bedistributed or centralised, tracks all metrics for all players,including all game state information, irrespective of the platform usedby each of those players, and that single user database is accessible byseveral different games, such as a match 3 switcher or clicker, a bubbleshooter etc.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and also their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld) and in which game state information is fully sync'd acrossdifferent platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook, sothat a player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing the game on anyof those different platforms.

A clicker game, in which a player's score and game level position andalso the scores and game level positions of all their social networkfriends also playing the game, is fully sync'd across differentplatforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld) and, in which each level of the game can be failed and, if alevel is failed, the game automatically offers the player extra moves topurchase, to carry on playing the game.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld), in which in-app purchases are bought for real or virtualcurrency by touching an icon of the booster shown next to the gameplayboard, and then touching a ‘buy’ button that is subsequently displayed.

A clicker game, in which a player's score and game level position andalso the scores and game level positions of all their social networkfriends also playing the game, is fully sync'd across differentplatforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook, and there aresections of the game that must be unlocked through either help fromthose friends or through a purchase.

A clicker game, connected to a player's friends through a socialnetwork, in which friends can send gifts, boosters, extra moves, orextra lives to one another.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and social networkfriends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtual world)and where a visual prompt is displayed by the game if a friend's highscore has been beaten by that player, the prompt enabling the player tosend a message to that friend.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and also their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld) and where the player can play the game in offline mode on oneplatform/device and the progress in the game and other game stateinformation is synchronised with a remote server when the device isonline again and the player can continue playing the game on anotherplatform.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld) and the game enables the player to buy a permanent booster whichcan be used without limit in time.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld), in which successive levels have different difficulty rankings tointroduce variety even without a new game mechanic being introduced—e.g.after a difficult level, there is an easier level.

A clicker game, connected to a player's friends through a socialnetwork, where some or all of those friends are sent a message promptingthe friend(s) to assist the player once that player has played, but notcompleted, a level, for more than a predefined time or predefined numberof attempts.

A clicker game, or other kind of social, casual game, in which playerscan see their own and their social network friends' level position on avirtual path (or other virtual world) and where the player is promptedto notify a social network friend when the friend's high score on aspecific level has been beaten by that player.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld), in which the game state information is fully sync'd acrossdifferent platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook, and,in which the gameplay for each level can be enhanced through the use ofan acquired item, such as a booster.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld), in which the game state information is fully sync'd acrossdifferent platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook, and,in which the gameplay for each level can be enhanced through the use ofan acquired item, such as a booster, and where the game stateinformation relating to the acquisition or use of an acquired item issynchronized across several different platforms.

A clicker game, in which players can see their own and their socialnetwork friends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtualworld) and, in which the game board contains switchable elements thatcan be matched with other switchable elements and switchable elementsthat cannot be matched with other switchable elements on the game board,where one of the goals for completing a level is to interact with thegame board in such a way that a predefined number of non-matchableswitchable elements are placed in any of a plurality of predefined areason the game board, such as being brought down from the top of thegameboard to the bottom.

A clicker game in which the player has to satisfy multiple criteriawithin a limited number of moves to complete the level; in which thecriteria include at least two of the following:

-   -   reaching a target score    -   removing matchable game elements to clear a path for a        non-matchable game element to reach a predefined area on the        game board    -   clear a predefined number of a certain type of game items        layered on the game board having a matchable game element,        together with each of the layered game items, where each layered        game item can be removed by removing a matcheable game element        in the same position as the layered game item.

A clicker game in which a player can purchase on-line a booster to aidgameplay and that booster, once available for use on the player'scurrent platform, can be used immediately and alternatively on any otherplatform used by the player, and in which game state information forthat player, including information relating to use of the booster, issynchronised using a remote server across each of several differentdevices used by that player.

A clicker game in which, after a player has failed to meet the levelcompletion criteria, a message is shown articulating why the levelcompletion criteria was not met, and offering as the only visuallysignificant option to replay the level.

A clicker game in which, after a player has achieved the levelcompletion criteria, a message is shown articulating that the level wassuccessfully completed, and offering as the only visually significantoption to share information to a social network.

A clicker game in which, when removing a group of game elements of thesame type of game element the matched game elements are removed from thegame board and replaced with a game element from the same type of gameelements that has a higher stage, and when including the newlyintroduced game element in a new combination of removed game elementsreplacing it with another game element of a further higher stage, whenthe introduced game element reach a certain stage it is removed from thegame board and all other game elements of the same type on the gameboard are upgraded one level.

NB Each of the above concepts can be combine with any and all of theother high-level concepts. Also, although the high-level concepts aregenerally defined in relation to a specific type of game match3-switcher game, the concepts can be deployed in other game variants(e.g. clicker games, match 3-switcher games, bubble shooter games,puzzle games).

Key Features Shared Across all High-Level Concepts

Candies are the Game Pieces that are Used in the Match 3 Switcher GameCandies are shiny, reflective, brightly coloured candies, but thebackground gameplay region is dark and matt, so the candies readilystand out, reducing cognitive load.Some or all game levels are untimed, eliminating any time pressure;(e.g. because a player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing the gameat any time since game state information is stored, e.g. remotely and/oron the playing device)Some or all levels have a true fail (which enables monetization throughpurchasing extra moves; true fails in casual games are rare because theassumption to the designer is that it will put people off playing thegame; allowing players to continue playing manipulates the failcondition to make it feel agreeable).Virtual path is through a candy-themed fantasy mapContinuous musical soundtrack plays during gameplayGame generates and displays congratulatory messages when the playerscores more than a predefined amount, or matches more than a predefinednumber of game elements, in a single moveFailing a level is accompanied with a soothing, whistling soundtrack

There is always an available match-3 switcher move, readily seen by theaverage player, that will score some points, whilst higher scoring movesare randomly available.

Games are played using software downloaded to an end-user device such asa smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop, or running remotely on a server, ora combination of the two, the software running on one or moreprocessors, and the processor controls or is involved with all gameplay,game interaction, graphics displays, communication, interaction withsocial networks, synchronization across platforms, data storage, gamestate information.

Games are played using a hardware gaming system comprising processorsand data memories, the system including multiple end-user devices, suchas smartphones, tablets and PCs, as well as remotely connected servers,the gaming system enabling the games defined above to be played on themultiple end-user devices.

The game is defined using non-transitory computer readable mediumencoded with instructions for controlling a hardware gaming system todisplay and enable users to play the games defined above.

Other Concepts

A match 3-game, fully sync'd across platforms, having an algorithm forautomatically detecting when there are no possible moves left.

A match 3-game, fully sync'd across platforms, having an algorithm forre-shuffling the elements on the game board.

A switcher-based match 3-game fully sync'd a cross platforms, havingsections which must be unlocked with the help of friends or through apurchase.

A switcher-based match 3-game, fully sync'd across platforms with atleast 3-5 different goals for completing different levels.

A switcher-based match 3-game, fully sync'd across platforms, having alimited amount of lives that can be replenished either by waiting or bypurchasing new lives.

A switcher-based match 3-game fully sync'd across different platforms.

A match-3 switcher game that offers users to buy permanent boosterswhich can be accessed one or more times for each time playing a level oronce a day.

A match-3 switcher game which is connected to the player's friendsthrough a social network and where friends can send gifts to each other.

A match-3 switcher game which is connected to the player's friendsthrough a social network and where friends can help each other bysending extra moves or extra lives.

A match-3 switcher game which is connected to the player's friendsthrough a social network and where friends can help each other bysending various boosters and where the help sent can only be used on thelevel the player is stuck on.

A match-3 game that has a sign in the shape of a bow tie or ribbon nextto those level nodes on the visual path where help from the player'sfriends.

A match-3 game where there are six standard game elements to switch inthe shape of candies.

A match-3 switcher game where the player's Facebook portrait moves alonga virtual path when progressing through the game.

A match-3 game where there is a map showing the progress of the playerand where the map looks like a foldable physical game board which hasbeen place on top of a table.

A match-3 game where the player moves along a virtual path and where thepath moves through different candy themed areas and where each area hasits own sub-story with an intro and an end when entering and exitingeach area respectively.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising a special game element, which,variable in its character, can be automatically moved and combined withother game elements into a match combo, or is locked in the blocker thatis required to be unlocked first.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising a special game element, which,variable in its character, can remain as the same special game elementafter combinable moves are taken.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising a special game element, which,variable in its character, can transform into a random game element thatcan either yield a combo to remove the game elements or yield anobstacle to block the combo, depending on the game elements it combinedwith.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising a special game element, whichcan transform into another special game element that, when combined withother game elements, yields a special combo effect to remove all thegame elements in a row and/or column, or a bigger area more than alayer.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising a special game element, whichcan transform into another special game element that, when combined withother game elements, yields a special combo effect to remove gameelements of the same colour.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising a special game element, whichcan transform into another special game element that is not playable ormovable unless it is unlocked first.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising a special game element, whichcan transform into another special game element that, consume other gameelements so that they are not playable or movable.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which can beobtainable free of charge.

-   -   The booster element can be obtainable free of charge by        installing the game at a different platform, e.g. iPad.    -   The booster can be obtainable free of charge by seeking help        from social network friends.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which arepurchasable before or during the game level.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which cansmash and remove any game element.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which allowthe game element to switch if no any combinable move on the game boardis available.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which allowdifferent special game elements to exist at the start of the game level.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which addfive to the count of the time-counting in-game elements on the gameboard.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which rollsover an area on the game board by transforming into striped game elementand creates three line blasts.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which,following its path, can chomp away any game elements and have themremoved at several squares.

The switch-based match 3 game, comprising special boosters, which morethan one can be mixed or combined from a certain game level.

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their social networkfriends' level position on a virtual path and where the player can playthe game in offline mode on one platform/device and the progress in thegame is synchronised with a central server when the device is onlineagain and the player can continue playing the game on another platform.

A casual online game connected to a social network where social networkfriends are prompted to assist another player if that other player hasplayed, but not completed, a level meeting a certain criteria; thecriteria can be any of the following

-   -   the player has played the level a predefined number of times    -   a predefined time has passed since the player first played the        level

A casual online game connected to a social network where social networkfriends are prompted to assist another player if that other player hasplayed, but not completed, a level meeting a certain criteria, the helpreceived can only be used by the player on that specific level.

A method for displaying score in a virtual game, comprising:

-   -   Measuring the score a player receives while playing a game; and    -   Visually representing an indication of how this score relates to        one or multiple pre-defined goals;    -   Gathering information about the high scores of different players        of the game level; and    -   Comparing the current score of the player, the previous high        score of the player and the high scores of other players; and    -   During the play of the game, visually representing the        difference between the current score, the different high scores        and the pre-defined goals.

Although these ideas are generally defined in relation to a match3-switcher game, the ideas can be deployed in other game variants (e.g.clicker games etc).

Further featuresShort feature nameMatch 3 gameMatch 4 for a special itemMatch 5 for a special itemCombine special items for an explosion that clears candiesItems are candiesSix standard candies with different appearanceShiny, reflective, brightly coloured candies; but background is matt

If the player doesn't make a move for a pre-set time, then a possiblematch-3 combination of candies is shown, with each candy brieflyilluminated or otherwise highlighted.

Continuous Musical Soundtrack

If 4 candies are combined, then a striped candy results; combining thatstriped candy into a match-3 combination removes all candies in thestripe direction for the row or column of the striped candy

The direction of the stripes of a striped candy is perpendicular to thecombination that created the striped candy

The column and line that are removed are determined by the crossingpoint (the cell) in which the combination is made

If 5 candies are combined in a line, then a special candy results;subsequently switching that special candy with an adjacent candy of agiven colour then removes all candies on the board in that colour.

If the special game element that removes all game elements of one colouris combined with a striped candy then all candies of the striped candy'scolour becomes triggered striped candies

If the special game element that removes all game elements of one colouris combined with another identical special game element then all gameelement son the game board are removed in a sweeping motion from left toright.

Removing game elements through combinations or special game elementsonly removes one ‘layer’.

Some special game elements or combinations of regular game elementsremove more than one ‘layer’

Some elements on the game board can only be removed if an adjacent gameelement is removed.

Some elements ‘consume’ other game elements so that they are notplayable or moveable.

-   -   Can only consume/move if there is a game element in an adjacent        cell on the game board

Some elements ‘consume’ other game elements so that they are notplayable or moveable

-   -   they appear after        -   Time        -   Number of moves        -   Number of moves that have not performed a specific action

Some elements ‘consume’ other game elements so that they are notplayable or moveable

-   -   These game elements consume other game elements in a        hierarchy: 1) Regular game elements, 2) special game elements

Some special game elements can be swapped normally, which latertransforms into a random game element that can be either a positiveelement or an obstacle.

Positive: e.g. a striped game element, a wrapped game element, a colourbomb, a fish, a lucky candy which can transform into useful element whenremoved, etc.Negative: e.g. a piece of chocolate, (which, if left unchecked, willspread), a chocolate factory, a piece of liquorice, a piece of cream ofrandom “thickness”, etc.Congratulatory Words on Screen and Spoken after Good GameplayLevels are timedLevels are not timedLevels contain non-combinable game elements that shall be moved to thelast row on the screen where they disappear in order to complete thegame.All non-combinable game elements to be moved are on the game board atthe startAll non-combinable game elements to be moved are not on the game boardat the start and will be introduced during the gameplay when other gameelements are removedThe method on how the non-combinable game elements are introduced on tothe game boardRemove a certain number of some or all of the available types ofmatchable game elements on the game board to complete the level.

The sequence of game elements is re-arranged (instead of “level failed”)with the current elements on the board when no combinable moves areavailable during the level.

Blockers

-   -   Jelly    -   Expanding Chocolate blocker    -   Frosting blocker    -   1 Layer Frosting    -   2 Layers Frosting    -   3 Layers Frosting    -   4 Layers Frosting    -   5 Layers Frosting    -   Liquorice blocker    -   Locked objects blocker    -   Candy Cannon    -   Chocolate fountain    -   Marmalade    -   Bomb (countdown bomb—one in each colour)    -   Walls    -   Net

Boosters (not Described Elsewhere)

-   -   Free Switch    -   Shuffle    -   Bomb Cooler    -   Sweet Teeth    -   Coconut liquorice    -   Free switcher hand    -   Paintbrush    -   Frozen clock charm    -   +3 Heart charm    -   Mix paper bag    -   Booster fish    -   Booster 5 switch    -   Bubble-gum Troll

Other In-Game Elements

-   -   Mystery Candy—One in each colour    -   Lucky Candy—One in each colour    -   Fish—One in each colour    -   Regular    -   Wrapped    -   Polka    -   Wrapped fish—One in each colour    -   Polka fish—One in each colour    -   Black Metal Candy    -   Time Bomb Maker

A part of the game board that moves a game element that passes throughit to a different part on the game board

-   -   Levels can be completed in under 80 moves    -   Each level has a true fail, giving player option to play that        level again    -   Failing a level is accompanied with a soothing whistling        soundtrack

Succeeding at a level moves the user one step along a virtual path

The virtual path is set on a candy themed fantasy map which has theappearance of a physical game board that is foldable and placed on topof a table.

Moving along the virtual path transports the player through differentthemed landscapes/areas and when entering a new landscape a sub-storybegins which then ends when that landscape has been progressed through.

On the virtual path there are level nodes representing each level. Thelevel nodes have a specific look depending on what type of goal thelevel they represent has.

-   -   Shown on all levels    -   Shown on all unlocked levels

Each node can reveal a preview thumbnail of the level

-   -   The thumbnail can show how well the player has succeeded on that        level before (stars, points, place in high score list)

Game Life

The maximum game life is set (5 times). The player will lose a life iffails a level.

1. Players automatically gain one game life every 30 minutes free ofcharge.2. Chance of purchasing game life is provided if no game life isavailable.3. Seek friends' help is possible through social network Facebook.Players may send requests for more lives by clicking the icon on thescreen, which will launch a Facebook pop-up that allows the player toselect friends individually.4. A special method of adding game life is to purchase the Charm of Lifefrom which the player may increase number of maximum lives from five toeight. The change of default life time can be permanent through a fullrefill Charm of life.

Players can see their social network friends' position on the virtualpath

Players can see their social network friends' scores for a level, e.g.when they complete that level

Players can see their social network friends' scores for the same levelthey are currently playing on the star meter together with theirfriends' portrait

Players can post their results for a level on their Facebook wall

The player is prompted to post a message/on the wall of a friend that ispassed in the high score list

The player is presented with the option o texted the play on the level(more moves or time) to beat one of the friends in that level.

-   -   Can be triggered by that the player is within a threshold of the        friend's score on that level

Players can See the Full Extent of the Virtual Path

Number of levels in the path is being increased by the game designerevery few days or weeks

Every interaction is accompanied with sound and a visual feedback

When a level is failed, the player is offered extra moves to purchase

The player can buy in-app boosters and charms to help with the currentlevel

-   -   Boosters can be bought before a level    -   Boosters can be bought during a level

There is a booster that lets the player switch two game elements that donot match

There is a booster that gives additional time for the player to completea timed level Coconut Wheel, a booster that rolls over an area on thegame board by transforming into striped game element and creates (3)line blasts

The method to define where the coconut wheel is to roll (if that is notdefined by the user)

A booster that instantly gives 5 extra moves

A booster that inserts special elements (jelly fishes) on the game boardwhich clears three pieces of jelly when matched

A booster that lets the player start a level with a colour bomb threetimes

A booster that lets the player start a level with one bomb and onelineblast 3 times

Lollipop booster: A booster that may smash and remove any game elementStripe & wrap booster: A booster that gives a striped game element and awrapped game element at the beginning of the game.Shuffle Candy: A booster that allows to shuffle the game element on theboard if no any good move is available.Bomb Cooler booster: A booster that adds five to the count of all thevisible bombs on the game board

Boosters can be permanent and available to the player for all levels orthey can be non-permanent and need to be topped-up through purchases orhelp from friends

The player can choose to use boosters both before starting a level andduring the play of a level.

In-app purchases are bought by touching an icon of the booster shownnext to the gameplay board, and then touching a ‘buy’ button that issubsequently displayed

At some levels, the player may ask friends from her social network tohelp

Social network friends can provide a player with boosters and extramoves

Social network friends are prompted to help out if the player has been‘stuck’ on a level for a specified time without completing the level.

-   -   The received help can only be used for that specific level where        the player has been stuck    -   The player can receive help from several friends (can in        different implementations use help from several friends or only        from one friend)

Social network friends are prompted to help out if the player has playeda level a certain number of times without completing the level.

Social network friends are prompted to help if the player has run out ofgame life and wish to continue the game.

The help that can be sent to a stuck friend can be extra moves to beused for free in that specific level

That the player has received from a friend is indicated on the overviewmap in relation to the level where the help can be used

In one implementations if the player has completed the level using thehelp from a specific friend a ‘thank you’ message is sent to the helpingfriend.

-   -   That message can be an item of value    -   The message can be a message only    -   The helping friend can get another benefit    -   The helping friend can get recognition

A player that is stuck can ‘buy’ himself past that level with help fromfriends—receiving help/unlocking from a plurality of friends gets theplayer past the level.

All levels require the player to combine candies in various combinations

Successive levels can have different difficulty rankings—e.g. after atough level, there is an easy level.

Goal for successive levels may change—e.g. one level may require theplayer to clear all the jellies, and the next may require the player tobring down all the special non-candy foods. Or successive levels mayrequire jellies to be cleared, but have very different shapes of thegameboard and blockers.

A goal may be to collect, by making combos, a certain amount of candies,special candies or specific combos in order to complete a level.

Fully sync'd across iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook.

Some levels are designed to be exceptionally difficult to succeed atthrough skill alone.

Game is free to play, but in-game purchases can be made forboosters/charms to help gameplay.

The tutorial of the game spans over the first six levels.

The game board's grid has a maximum size of 9×9.

1. A method, implemented as computer code being executed by one or moreprocessors, in which computer game graphics for a casual, social gameare shown on a display of a computing device and in which one or more ofthe processors are programmed such that: in the game, a player isautomatically allocated lives, is only permitted to play a game if ithas one or more lives left, and loses one or more lives if it fails alevel; and in which a player can see which of their friends on thesocial network are playing, or have played, the game and the level theyhave reached; and in which the processor enables players who are friendson the social network to collaborate, including by sending a message totheir friends, or a subset of their friends, transferring in-gameassistance, such as a life or lives, or moves or boosters or in-gamecurrency.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which one or more processors areprogrammed to show a virtual path or other virtual world that indicatesthe level reached by the player and some of that player's social networkfriends.
 3. The method of claim 1 in which one or more processors areprogrammed to display computer game graphics showing a gameboard withmultiple game elements that are removed when matched or switched, suchas in a match-3, clicker or switcher game.
 4. The method of claim 1 inwhich the processor enables players who are friends on the socialnetwork to collaborate, including sending a message to their friends, ora subset of their friends, gifting lives, in-game currency, boosters,charms, other in-game elements.
 5. The method of claim 1 in which, inresponse to the receipt of a gift of a life, in-game currency, boosters,charms, or other in-game elements, from a friend, the recipient isautomatically prompted to send an in-game element back to the friend. 6.The method of claim 1 in which a player can send lives, in-gamecurrency, boosters, charms, other in-game elements, messages to friendsin response to a request or a posting, such as an automaticallygenerated request.
 7. The method of claim 1 in which a player can sendlives, in-game currency, boosters, charms, other in-game elements,messages to friends in response to a request from a friend.
 8. Themethod of claim 1 in which a player can send lives, in-game currency,boosters, charms, other in-game elements, messages to a friend if theplayer determines that the friend needs that assistance, for example hasbeen stuck on a level for several days or weeks.
 9. The method of claim1 in which a processor automatically causes a message to be sent to oneor more friends of a player requesting help if that player is stuck at alevel for more than a defined time or after more than a defined numberof attempts to pass that level.
 10. The method of claim 1 in whichcollaboration includes sending a request to a friend to play ahead-to-head game tournament with that friend.
 11. The method of claim 1in which collaboration occurs in real-time, ie instantaneously or nearlyinstantaneously.
 12. The method of claim 1 in which a casual, socialgame is a game that can be downloaded as an app to a smartphone and/ortablet computer and which can be accessed or played using a socialnetwork application or environment.
 13. The method of claim 1 in whichsome or all game levels are untimed, eliminating any time pressure. 14.The method of claim 1 in which the game is a casual, social game andsome or all levels have a true fail, to enable monetization throughpurchasing extra moves.
 15. The method of claim 1 in which there is acontinuous musical soundtrack, such as a waltz, that plays duringgameplay.
 16. The method of claim 1 in which the game generates anddisplays congratulatory messages when the player scores more than apredefined amount, or matches more than a predefined number of gameelements, in a single move.
 17. The method of claim 1 in which there isan algorithm for automatically detecting when there are no possiblemoves left.
 18. The method of claim 1 in which there is an algorithm forre-shuffling the elements on the game board.
 19. The method of claim 1in which a processor generates, if no move has been made for a while,help or hints by brightening and enlarging game elements used in apossible move on the board with a flashing animation, such as ananimation that occurs once, or repeats twice or thrice.
 20. The methodof claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to require a player toreach a target score before running out of moves in order to complete alevel successfully, but completing the level is not timed.
 21. Themethod of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to automaticallyreplenish a life for a player in 30 minutes.
 22. The method of claim 1in which a processor is programmed so that, if a player finishes a levelin under the target number of moves, then random game elements on thegame board are triggered and give the player bonus points.
 23. Themethod of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that, if a levelis finished with moves left, those moves are converted to special gameelements that trigger for extra bonus points.
 24. The method of claim 1in which a processor is programmed so that the game generates anddisplays congratulatory messages when the player scores more than apredefined amount, or matches more than a predefined number of gameelements, in a single move.
 25. The method of claim 1 in which aprocessor is programmed so that the player can ask his friends forlives.
 26. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed sothat the player can ask his friends for other help.
 27. The method ofclaim 1 in which social network friends are prompted to assist anotherplayer if that other player has played, but not completed, a levelmeeting a certain criteria.
 28. The method of claim 1 in which aprocessor is programmed so that the player can send gifts to friends.29. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that thegame can be synchronized between different devices.
 30. The method ofclaim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that a player canseamlessly stop and re-start playing the game at any time since gamestate information is stored, e.g. remotely and/or on the playing device.31. The method of claim 1 in which every change in the game state, suchas every move of a game piece by the user, and every consequentialchange in every game piece on the game board, is accompanied by soundand visual feedback to provide immediate, positive gratification to theplayer.
 32. The method of claim 1 in which game state information ispreserved, enabling a remote server system to identify a player and allaspects of the state of the game they are playing, so that the playercan end game play on one device and resume from a different device at alater time at exactly the same state.
 32. The method of claim 1 in whichthe different device can be a different type of device, so that theplayer can move seamlessly between playing the game on a smartphone andon a tablet.
 33. The method of claim 1 in which a remote server systemcan identify a player because that player has accessed the game througha social network.
 34. The method of claim 1 in which the game is acasual, social game, namely a game that can be downloaded as an app to asmartphone and/or tablet computer and which can be accessed or playedusing a social network application or environment.
 35. The method ofclaim 1 in which the processor is programmed to show a virtual path orother virtual world that indicates the level reached by the player andthat player's social network friends.
 36. The method of claim 1 in whichthe design of the game is optimised through a process including the stepof: using data analytics to understand the impact of changes to the gamedesign in terms of player engagement and/or monetisation and/orviralisation and; implementing changes to the game design, includingfrequent changes such as daily or weekly changes, to optimise playerengagement and/or monetisation and/or viralisation.
 37. A computingdevice adapted to play a computer game, the device including aprocessor, a memory, a display, a touch screen or a cursor based inputdevice, and computer code stored in device memory or on a remote serverand executable by the device processor or a remote processor, and inwhich the computer code generates computer game graphics for the displayon the device; and in which one or more processors are programmed suchthat: in the game, a player is automatically allocated lives, is onlypermitted to play a game if it has one or more lives left, and loses oneor more lives if it fails a level; and in which a player can see whichof their friends on the social network are playing, or have played, thegame and the level they have reached; and in which the processor enablesplayers who are friends on the social network to collaborate, includingby sending a message to their friends, or a subset of their friends,transferring in-game assistance, such as a life or lives, or moves orboosters or in-game currency.
 38. A non-transitory computer readablemedium encoded with instructions for controlling a computer system todisplay a game on a display; and in which the instructions running onthe processor(s) are such that: in the game, a player is automaticallyallocated lives, is only permitted to play a game if it has one or morelives left, and loses one or more lives if it fails a level; and inwhich a player can see which of their friends on the social network areplaying, or have played, the game and the level they have reached; andin which the processor enables players who are friends on the socialnetwork to collaborate, including by sending a message to their friends,or a subset of their friends, transferring in-game assistance, such as alife or lives, or moves or boosters or in-game currency.